Band officials in We’koqma’q First Nation are offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in connection with the death of 22-year-old Cassidy Bernard.
“Cassidy’s murderer must be brought to justice,” said the chief and council in a statement. “Her murder has devastated her children, family, our community and impacted the entire Mi’kmaw Nation and extended community.”
Police responded to a home on Highway 105 in We’koqma’q First Nation around 11 a.m. on Oct. 24. They found Bernard unresponsive inside the home.
Her two infants were also found inside the home, but they weren’t harmed.
Police have remained tightlipped about the case, saying they will release new information once the medical examiner’s office has completed its investigation.
Bernard’s cause of death hasn’t been released, and police haven’t said whether she is the victim of a homicide.
However, police have said they are treating her death as suspicious, and they don’t believe it was a random act.
“We’koqma’q First Nation stands firmly united with Cassidy’s family and our community to condemn this horrific act and we will not sit idle,” said the chief and council.
“We know that there are individuals amongst us that have valuable information that can help the RCMP with their investigation. The time is now to report any information you have to the RCMP or Crime Stoppers.”
Meanwhile, a peaceful protest is set to take place at the Canso Causeway Wednesday at noon. Protesters say they plan to block the causeway to bring awareness to Bernard’s case and to missing and murdered Indigenous women and men in Canada.
