Getting started - for newbies in this case - Q & A

Kimster

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I don't know about everyone else, but this is all new to me! So I'm starting a thread for case newbies!

When did this first hit the news?

Do they talk about the Highway of Tears in Canada a lot?

Do they think any cases in the US have to do with this possible serial killer?

I'm just floored by this case! :(
 
I had never heard of it but once the forum formed I did a lot of research last night to try and catch up. I am shocked that so many women and girls have gone missing or are unsolved murders in the area. I feel there may be a combination of things at play here.

I think there may have been several serial killers at play over the last forty years as well as a very real possibility that sex trafficking may be to blame for some of the disappearances.

I must admit, I am extremely unschooled in Candadian culture and was unaware the aboriginal peoples suffered such poverty and disregard historically there.
 
I have to wonder why we haven't heard of this before? Before I'd been to WS, I had heard of the Green River Killer and yet these girls are just across the border? It's really really SAD!
 
Canadian here,

I'm originally from British Columbia and lived in Vancouver for 11 years. I also lived for a very short time in Prince George. I now live in Calgary, Alberta which is the neighboring province(which is like a state :p) If you have any questions about Canada let me know.

I also work for the telephone company for the Provinces of Alberta and BC. There is just the one MAJOR phone company. I dispatch technicians all over the province on emergency Network and cable issues so EVERYDAY I deal with the geography of BC and AB(Alberta)


As far as the LOCATION of the highway of tears, it's far north. Northern BC, northern AB. The northern parts of all provinces are FAR FAR less occupied. I will find a map that shows the geographical lay out of the population in these provinces to give you an idea. Most people live in the lower or more central parts of the province. The northern parts are very mountainous, Cold, and very forested or uninhabitable. Additionally, it's easier to live closer to the states just for trade alone. No point living in BF Northern BC unless you are a logger, a miner, or other various industrial worker. Well, that's not entirely true.


With 3.5 persons per square kilometre, Canada is one of the countries with the lowest population densities ... so we have a huge chunk of land, but we only live in the lower half. ha ha. Here is a link to a map for the 2006 population density of Canada although it's not a great map. http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/peopleandsociety/population/population2006/popden2006

I will look for more.


Here is a better one. It will give you a better idea. http://maps.howstuffworks.com/canada-population-density-map.htm

I think a big PART of the reason that this has been happening along this stretch of Highway is that it is such a LARGE, unpopulated, unpatrolled highway.
 
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_16[/ame]

here is Wikipedia with some pretty good info about Highway 16
 
Thanks! I guess I didn't make it to the thread that explained the location more clearly yet. :ashamed:

So, with this area less densely populated, I am even more aghast that they girls may have met their fate at the hands of only one person!
 
I don't think that the police are looking for one suspect. I think there may well be one solid serial offender but I think the major problem is the social assistance, or lack there of, in remote rural communities in BC and AB. So many small towns, reservations and communities go with out adequate policing, social programs for children, job training, community resourcing, or addictions assistance. Many of these girls who have disappeared have been hitchhikers, alcoholics, drug addicts and from lower income families. With out the property community supports in place to help people, there will be social issues. What I perceive happening is that some one person may have started a career of serial homicides and various attacks on girls, and over the years it has slowly evolved. People from this area would know what kind of policing is available. They will possibly have seen and heard about many girls in the communities who have gone missing or wound up murdered. If a community or many northern communities, or even a people, live without law or consequence, witnessing the law enforcement fail to put a stop to those murders, it would stand to reason that, perhaps more than one person would take advantage of this situation.

Moo, but alcoholism, drug abuse, racism, poverty, abuse, unemployment and violence are rampant among many northern towns, reservations and communities. A large majority of these women and girls are aboriginal, which to me shows the attitude these communities have toward aboriginal women.

I suggest this article as it says a lot between the lines.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/houston-today/news/116089164.html


"Carrier Sekani Tribal Council vice-chief Terry Teegee said with so many aboriginal girls and young women missing or murdered, the scope of the inquiry is simply too vast.
"I recommend you look at the root causes: the situation in our communities. Our communities that have a lack of services. Our communities that have a lack of infrastructure," Teegee said."
 
I found this resource online from Statistics Canada. There is an entire section exploring data taken from the Aboriginal population (i.e. those who self-identified as being Aboriginal) and violence against Aboriginal men and women versus non-Aboriginals. Interesting to note that the highest group that committed violence against Native women are acquaintances. For non-Aboriginals, the highest group to commit violence against women are spouses. I think because of these stats from 2006, LE should be considering acquaintances first in the cases of these women and then their spouses and family members. There is a whole lot of good general info in this report.
I wish I could copy/paste this table, but go to pdf page 68. The Aboriginal section begins at page 64.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-570-x/85-570-x2006001-eng.pdf
 
Does anyone else think it would help to understand the Law Enforcement systems and Hierarchies in Canada? And there is some differences in terminology too. IE : detachment would that be equal to a precinct??
 
Does anyone else think it would help to understand the Law Enforcement systems and Hierarchies in Canada? And there is some differences in terminology too. IE : detachment would that be equal to a precinct??

Wow, brilliant idea. We could certainly start a thread!
 
Wow, brilliant idea. We could certainly start a thread!

I think a thread on the Canadian legal system might be a good idea in the Resources forum.

Though, from my experience, whenever anyone starts talking about the Canadian legal system, it gets kind of kicked around on WS, so I tend to avoid the subject.
 
I don't know about everyone else, but this is all new to me! So I'm starting a thread for case newbies!

When did this first hit the news?

Do they talk about the Highway of Tears in Canada a lot?

Do they think any cases in the US have to do with this possible serial killer?

I'm just floored by this case! :(

I have heard of the hitchhiker disappearances for a long while, since the mid-90s, IIRC. (I'm from Nova Scotia originally, so I was likely a late comer to the case - but I watched a lot of CBC as a kid.) I think the initial big attention was the 1980 "highway murders" investigations, which looked at more than just Highway 16. Then, it was really Nicole Hoar's disappearance in 2002 that launched the mystery into national attention - sadly, because Nicole is often described as one of the first non-Aboriginal victims, perhaps (though she is one of 8 non-Native women on the list of 18). The Pickton case (2002) likely also highlighted the Highway missing. In 2009, when the RCMP seemed hot on the trail of Hoar's remains, the case seemed to get a boost, and does so with each new victim - the latest being Maas in 2010.

AFAIK, quite a few Canadians have heard about the Highway, but awareness and concern is not where it should be, given the seriousness of the issue. Recent inquests and renewal of investigations seem to help, and I get the sense this is about to become something really big - people really can't let this issue slide any more.

I am not sure about American cases, though I would eventually like to start researching possible missing persons from the US who might be involved. AFAIK, the only American connection that has been discussed is the old theory that Ted Bundy (who was known to travel in western Canada) may have victims in this region - I don't think that theory went anywhere, though.

And, as far as this case not being a huge thing in the States, I am not terribly surprised. In general, Canadians tend to know more American news than vice versa, simply because that is the way the media works, IME.

I am thrilled to have this case on WS, and have long hoped we would have a Highway of Tears project here. I am very pleased that so many members are learning more or hearing for this case for the first time. Information really needs to get out there. This situation has gone on way, way too long.
 
Thanks! I guess I didn't make it to the thread that explained the location more clearly yet. :ashamed:

So, with this area less densely populated, I am even more aghast that they girls may have met their fate at the hands of only one person!

I still don't believe there is a single Highway killer. I think it has been multiple killers over the decades, taking advantage of the situation.
 
Does anyone else think it would help to understand the Law Enforcement systems and Hierarchies in Canada? And there is some differences in terminology too. IE : detachment would that be equal to a precinct??

Each province or region is a "Division" and each Division has "Detachments," which could be considered like "outposts." These are local RCMP offices, with officers assigned. The terminology comes from the RCMP's military organizational history. BC is E Division.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/organi-eng.htm

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCMP_%22E%22_Division"]RCMP "E" Division - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:RCMP_logo.png" class="image"><img alt="RCMP logo.png" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/RCMP_logo.png/112px-RCMP_logo.png"@@AMEPARAM@@en/thumb/d/db/RCMP_logo.png/112px-RCMP_logo.png[/ame]
 
Common Canadian legal terms, court hierarchy, media law

The link above might help, I also want to learn more about how Canadian law differs from American when it comes to court ordered media bans on info concerning criminal proceedings. Can anyone bring us up to speed on this?

more on Canadian publication bans

An example is the Pickton serial murders case, there was a publication ban on testimony from the prelim inquiry in 2003 til 2010.

I figure learning about this will help us understand some of the background of what we read and investigate.

Thank you everyone involved in setting up this forum, I'd heard of these cases but having all the info in one place will bring much more attention and compassionate hearts and minds.
 
To further help us understand what we are looking at I'll add in info on reports on assaults and murders of native women in USA, over the border:

Amnesty International
"Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA"

NPR 2 part series, 1st Rape Cases On Indian Lands Go Uninvestigated

My idea being that this adds to our overall view of the experience of native, aboriginal, marginalized and other women in general in North America.

My guess is that the Highway of Tears in Canada is caused by more than one person. Might be some serial murderers in the mix plus others taking advantage of the situation.
 
What about Ridgeway? Just a thought.

I mean given what I just read about the terrain, the lack of dense population and the number of hitchikers, that place is a hunting ground. :(
 
What about Ridgeway? Just a thought.

I mean given what I just read about the terrain, the lack of dense population and the number of hitchikers, that place is a hunting ground. :(

I know that the LE that handled some of the Highway killings have been in consultation with the LE who captured Ridgeway.
 

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