Father 'loved his daughters with all his heart' says a post online.
A spokesperson for the Thunder Bay Police Service says its major crimes unit is investigating allegations made on Facebook that a First Nations father of two was beaten to death.
The post, which has been shared hundreds of times, alleges the man, Jonathan Achneepineskum, was “beaten with 2 baseball bats by 4 white looking guys that jumped out of a white looking truck, enduring 5 days in and out of consciousness.”
According to Thunder Bay police, investigators are looking for people who witnesses the attack and asking that if they don’t trust police, go to someone who can communicates with officers on their behalf.
“On social media, the original poster indicates potential witnesses are unwilling to come forward due to a mistrust of police,” the police statement said. “If you have information about a crime but have anxiety about approaching police please consider speaking with an Indigenous Liaison officer by contacting our non-emergency line at 684-1200 and asking for Cst. Bob Simon.”
The post said that Achneepineskum died on Oct. 4.
He was a father to two girls. Two sons died before him, according to his obituary posted online.
“He loved his daughters with all his heart. He was a great storyteller who knew how to paint the scene to make you feel like you were there with him,” it said.
The 36 year old was a resident of Lake Helen Reserve, roughly 120 km east of Thunder Bay.
A funeral service for Achneepineskum was held on Friday.
