The region is characterized by poverty and, until 2017, lacked adequate public transportation, which forced many locals to resort to hitchhiking as a form of transit. CAN WE PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS? Canada's Highway of Tears is part of a road known for cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women, highlighting a broken system where race comes into play. All but one of these victims were Aboriginal women. Garry Taylor Handlen, a 67-year-old man, was charged in 2014 for her death and that of an 11-year-old girl, Kathryn-Mary Herbert, unrelated to the Highway of Tears investigation. Cecilia Nikal was 15 years old when she was last seen in 1989. Highway 16 is part of an area in the province known as the Highway of Tears linked to the deaths and disappearances of at least 18 women since 1969. Her remains were found one month later. Police say the teens could be armed and may have changed their appearance. RCMP Warned Gov't Budget Cuts Would Affect Highway Of Tears Probe 'Strong Suspects' In Highway Of Tears Investigation: RCMP 'I Didn't Kill The Girl': Accused Serial Killer Her remains were found in April 1995, alongside Highway 16, near the Smithers Airport. That man has not been identified, but police released a sketch of him. The RCMP say they suspect Bobby Jack Fowler was responsible for Darlington's disappearance, but they don't have conclusive proof. He was considered a suspect and questioned, but he was found to be clear, even passing a lie detector test, and the RCMP released him. ... any other scandals then start looking particularly suspect. Gale Weys, a 19-year-old from Clearwater, British Columbia, was last seen hitchhiking in October 1973, and her remains were found in April 1974. What should I do if my child goes missing? The RCMP reports that since the creation of E-PANA, it has collected 750 DNA samples, conducted 2,500 interviews, investigated 1,413 persons of interest and administered 100 polygraphs. The Highway of Tears refers to a 724 km length of Yellowhead Highway 16 in British Columbia where many women (mostly Indigenous) have disappeared or been found murdered. A Canada-wide manhunt for the suspects was initiated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Copyright © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc.All rights reserved. Thirty-eight years later, in October 2012, DNA evidence led the RCMP to announce their belief that Bobby Jack Fowler was Colleen’s murderer. Bonnie Marie Joseph was 31 years old when she was last seen in the Vanderhoof, British Columbia, area on 8 September 2007. She was 18 years old. At the age of 15, Roxanne Thiara disappeared in November 1994 from Prince George, British Columbia. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe that he may have also killed as many as ten of the other victims, and possibly as many as 20. Police say they had found a truck on fire, that belonged to the Canadian teen suspects about a mile from the man's body. This article contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for all audiences. Going out that fateful night, she told her little brother Shawn "Don't tell mom I'm hitchhiking". Her body was found on 10 December 1999, in an area northwest of Quesnel, near Pinnacles Provincial Park. Todd Secondary School in Prince George, British Columbia, when she went missing. On the evening of 13 October 1970, she left her apartment in the 1600 block of Queensway Avenue for a walk and never returned. An intense manhunt is now underway for the teens, who are suspects in three deaths on rural roads in British Columbia, Canada. Her remains were found in 1996. While the Highway Murders initiative identified prime suspects in certain cases between 1981 and 2005, women continued to disappear, or were found murdered, along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia. She was 18 years old. Nicole Hoar (Status: Missing and Unsolved). Cecilia Nikal (Status: Missing and Unsolved). In 2005, Tamara Chipman (22) also vanished along the Highway of Tears in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and in February of 2006 the body of 14-year-old Aielah Saric Auger was found in a ditch by a passing motorist shortly after she disappeared. The families of the teens say they haven't seen them in several days. The nine additional Highway of Tears victims are: Shelley Bascu, Maureen Mosie, Monica Jack, Monica Ignas, Colleen MacMillen, Pamela Darlington, Gale Weys, Micheline Pare and Gloria Moody. Ten of these 18 victims are Indigenous women and girls. She was last seen by witnesses on 3 May 1983 near Highway 16. His DNA was found on the body of Colleen MacMillen. Roxanne Thiara (Status: Murdered and Unsolved). Between July 23 and August 7, McLeod and Schmegelsky used firearms to kill themselves near the Nelson River, northeast of Gillam, Manitoba. Her car was discovered the next day at a Highway 16 rest area approximately 35 km east of Prince George, British Columbia. Her pickup truck and tent were found at the campground with no sign of her, despite an extensive ground, water and air search. Immaculate Basil (Status: Missing and Unsolved). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Highway of Tears to get bus route after 18 women murdered or missing. Four suspects were charged in connection with Bjornson's murder. Close investigation of the cases revealed a number of similarities, including reports of suspicious vehicles and the names of persons of interest. 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