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Highway of Tears |
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Highway of Tears investigation VANCOUVER - In their hunt to determine whether a serial killer is preying on girls and women along BC roadways, investigators have identified 2,000 “persons of interest” in the so-called Highway of Tears investigation. Project E-Pana, the joint RCMP-Vancouver police unit probing missing and murdered women along BC highways, previously has been tight-lipped about the high-profile investigation. (Vancouver Sun) MORE: Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Vanishing point |
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Highway of Tears list grows to 18 women PRINCE GEORGE - The list of women who've been murdered or gone missing along the Highway of Tears has been increased to 18 from nine. Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre of E Division major crime section said the area of investigation has also expanded as far south as Merritt and Kamloops. The nine additional names were added after a task force investigated more than 200 criminal files. (Prince George Citizen) MORE: Police link nine new cases to 'Highway of Tears' List of women on 'Highway of Tears' doubles |
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Call for RCMP action on Highway of Tears VANCOUVER - Natives are calling for a shuttle bus and a proper public transit system to reduce the number of potential victims along the so-called Highway of Tears, says a new report that also recommends that police investigate as many as 32 murders and disappearances on Highway 16. (Vancouver Sun) PREVIOUS: Natives lay out safety plan 'Highway of Tears' forum hears demand for action RCMP revisit probe into missing women |
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Cop: BC killings may be work of serial killer VICTORIA - British Columbia's top cop acknowledges some of the killings along the so-called Highway of Tears may show signs of a serial killer, though RCMP haven't found much evidence. (CP) MORE: No evidence of serial killer in BC |
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Women either found dead or are missing: |
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Fitting the profile |
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by Bernice Trick Feb. 18, 2006 |
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A serial killer is involved in at least three of the disappearances of females along Highway 16 West, according to two retired RCMP officers. Fred Maile, who now works on a contract basis for the RCMP in Grande Prairie, Alta., as a reader analyst, said his theory is that four of the girls who disappeared between 1990 and 1995 met foul play by the same individual. In late 1995, Maile attended a Prince George meeting with a group of crime profilers looking into the disappearances of five First Nations girls between 1990 and 1995. At the time, Maile was working on behalf of the Missing Children's Society of Canada. "We spent three to four days going over every detail (of the cases). As a result, the consensus of the group was that three, we could say, appeared to have the same individual responsible," Maile said. The three were Ramona Wilson, 15, Roxanne Thiara, 15 and Alishia Germaine,15. However, Maile, who now works as a private detective, said he would also add Delphine Nikal, 16, to that list. "There's no doubt in my mind Ramona Wilson and Delphine Nikal are connected as well," he said. Delphine, from Smithers, disappeared in June 1990, and has never been found. Ramona, who is also from Smithers, vanished in June 1994. Her remains were found in April 1995 in a wooded area near Smithers. "Delphine's body has never been found, but if it ever is, my guess is her remains will be just off that Highway 16 similar to Ramona," he said. "Just the way they were both scooped off that highway. They were both from Smithers, both walking on Highway 16 West at 10 or 11 p.m. They were both Native and about the same age." He said there's no doubt a vehicle was involved in both cases. Roxanne went missing in July 1994, from Prince George. Her body was found in August of the same year along Highway 16 near the Burns Lake airport. Alishia was found in December 1994 behind an elementary school in Prince George. "There's a certain scenario that this type of rapist, serial killer adheres to. They look for an opportunity like young girls hitchhiking," said Maile, who believes the killer is familiar with Highway 16, the communities along it and perhaps makes himself familiar to the young girls and is able to convince them to get into his vehicle. "I have no problem saying there is an individual that has caused the death of two or three of the girls," Maile said. |
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He added the four years that passed between the disappearances of Delphine and Romona "doesn't mean too much. The individual could have been in jail or working somewhere else," he said. "What I do know is that you don't very often in a community get two, three or four serial killers at the same time." When asked about rumours of many more girls going missing over the years, Maile said "I've heard the same rumours about girls from Prince Rupert that were hitchhiking and disappeared, but when you try to track it down, it goes nowhere." "I know a lot of them aren't reported to police for whatever reasons. I don't buy the reason that the police won't do anything. That's not true. I've been there, and anytime we had something like that, we put a lot of effort into trying to solve it. The problem is when nobody is able to give you any information, there's not much you can do." He said part of the problem is that we're dealing with "such a huge area and (police) resources are limited." Maile did not want to speculate as to whether a serial killer is responsible for any of the missing cases after 1995, such as that of 14-year-old Aielah Sarici-Auger. The First Nations teen was last seen by her family on Feb. 2. At the time, family members said she stayed overnight with a friend and were told there had been a sighting of her getting into a black van on Feb. 3, but police have not confirmed that. Her body was found a week later on Highway 16 East, about 15 kilometres east of Prince George. |
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Ron MacKay, a retired RCMP forensic behavourial analyst, who headed the group of profilers in 1995, concurs with Maile's comments. "There is little I can add to what Fred said," MacKay said from Ottawa. "He was working on some of the cases at the time as a private investigator, and I had full confidence in his ability, ethics and confidentiality." MacKay said the profilers felt there "was enough similarities at that time to show that two, and possibly three, of the girls could have the same offender." He said one factor that made it more difficult was the decomposition of the bodies of Ramona and Thiara. He added in the vast area where the crimes were committed "there are high-risk people with high-risk lifestyles." He said about 90 per cent of crimes are solved by information received from the public, but when little or no information comes forth, it's tough for authorities to do their job. The 1995 profilers, who came together to brainstorm cases by examining every detail and reaching a consensus, was named Project Exclude. The group included Maile, MacKay, Inspector Kate Lines of the Ontario Provincial Police, and three profile understudies, who have all gone on to become professional profilers. Maile served 25 years in the RCMP in B.C., including eight years in E. Division's serious crime unit in Vancouver. |
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©Copyright 2006 Prince George Citizen |
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