CANADA CANADA - 83 Missing & Murdered women of Edmonton, Alberta

Bernadette was last seen September 27 1989, and her naked body was found October 25 1989 in a ditch on North Clover Bar Rd, north of Hwy 16 near Sherwood Park, Alberta. No cause of death was determined (although subsequent reports indicate she was strangled), and police think she may have been killed the day before her body was found. Bernadette was 22 years old, Metis, and a mother of three. She was a street worker who worked the area of 104 Avenue and 96 St in Edmonton. She lived with her common-law husband Simon Staddon and had gone out to turn a trick and score them a fix. Another street worker, Crystal Bernard, said she and Bernadette bought cocaine and divided it in the washroom at Tony’s Place restaurant at 111 Avenue and 96 Street. She said Bernadette was taking some of the coke back home, and Crystal last saw her get into a van with a man she described as Italian.

Edna was last seen September 22, 2002 in Edmonton. Her body was found about 8:30 am September 23, 2002 in a field 3 kms east of Leduc on Range Road 245, 1 km north of Rollyview Rd, after a local resident reported smoke coming from a wooded area just north of Hwy 623 (which is also known as Rollyview Rd) . Her body was still on fire when discovered. Edna was 28 years old, 5'4", slim, native, long brown hair, she wore glasses; she had 6 kids under 10 and a 1 month old newborn; trying to get out of prostitution; had worked the streets of downtown Edmonton and was a cocaine addict; last seen by a regular john who dropped her off at 118 Av and 95 St between 3:30 and 4:30 am

Debbie was last seen November 4 2002 in Edmonton. Her skull was found April 12 2003 by a man hunting for deer antlers near Miquelon Lake (70 kms southeast of Edmonton near Camrose, Alberta). Bone fragments and hair discovered at the scene were also identified as belonging to Lake, but her body has not been found, and cause of death not determined. Her mother thought Debbie had "gone into hiding". She had left home at 3:00 am to use pay phone; had 4 kids and had reconciled with her husband; they were living in a converted bus behind a house at 105 Av and 78 St, a house known for loud parties.

Police and her husband Al Brooks said she was involved in the sex trade, but relatives deny it. Brooks said he last saw her at about 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2002, when she had received a call on her cell phone but her cell went dead for lack of paid minutes. She left their 78 Street home to use a nearby pay phone to return the call. Brooks said he’d expected Lake to return right away since she left both her 10-month-old baby and cigarettes behind; Brooks reported his wife missing the next day. But he also said that Lake, who police reported was a cocaine user, would sometimes take off to party and not return for hours. Her relatives in Saskatchewan admitted she had once been involved with the “wrong crowd” but denied she ever worked as a prostitute. They remembered her as a generous person and loving mother, and her father Myles, 49, said he was haunted by the thoughts that his daughter was likely murdered. “How bad did the poor girl suffer,” he said. “I will probably never know, but it will always be in the back of my mind”. Lake and Brooks broke up several years before her death, her parents took care of the couple’s three children. Then Lake met and had a baby with another man before reuniting with Brooks a few months before she disappeared.

Monique was last seen in late 2002 or possibly January 1 2003 (last confirmed sighting was November 24 2002) . Her frozen body was found January 8, 2003 in a grainfield northeast of Edmonton (south of Twp Rd 540 and Range Rd 222 … 5 kms from where Melissa Munch’s body would be found 4 days later). There was trauma to Monique’s entire body but cause of death has not been released.

Monique was 30 years old, a street worker and addicted to crack. Her boyfriend Stuart Dittrick said he had last seen her around Nov. 25 when their roommate Dwaine Alberding gave her a ride to the Transit Hotel, 12720 Fort Rd NW in NE Edmonton (127 Av NW and 66 St). Others recall seeing her in Dec 2002. Monique was also known to work near the Cecil Hotel on Jasper Av, and a security guard at the Cecil thought he saw her just after New Year's Day (police were less certain about the reports of the sightings in December and January including the security guard one). Monique was born in Bathurst, NB, then at 5 y.o. lived in Petawawa, Ontario. She was a friend of victim Rachel Quinney.

Melissa was last seen sometime between January 6 to 10 2003 at the Shoppers Drug Mart at 188 Avenue and 95 Street by employees and a friend (but she was not seen on the stores video security recording). Her body was found January 12 2003 in the Ardrossan area, south of Hwy 16, west of Range Rd 220, Strathcona County. Her frozen body was located in a stand of trees and she was identified by fingerprints. No cause of death has been released. She was 20 years old, aka Melissa Ashley, a street worker who was addicted to crack. She was known to steal from her johns. Her body was found about five kms from the field where Monique Pitre’s body was found 4 days earlier. Melissa had moved to Edmonton 5 mos before her death to escape her demons and make a new start. She had attended Our Lady of Assumption high school; she had 2 daughters 11 months and 5 yrs; her funeral was held in Calgary.

Katie was last seen April 27 2003. Her badly decomposed body was found July 7 2003 by a farmer on his land at 49548 Range Road (property owned by Ansorgers), specifically Twp Rd 500 and Range Rd 235. She was found along a fence line about 10 metres from the road. This location is 20 kms south of Edmonton, east of Leduc. Cause of death is unknown. Katie was 40 y.o., Metis, bleach blonde hair. She was a street worker and addicted to crack. She was living in Sask, but working as a street worker in the area of 111 Av and 95 St in Edmonton Alberta. She was last seen around April 27 2003 while visiting a friend on 98 Street. After telling him she was going out to work but would be right back, she was never seen again. She had planned to visit her kids in Saskatchewan in April; she lived with Jack Perrault; her former CIL husband was Frank Douglas; she was from Brochet, Manitoba and was originally Sylvia Merasty.

Rachel was last seen June 4 2004 in Edmonton, Her body was found June 11 2004 in a small grove of trees at Twp Rd 540 and Range Rd 224 on property owned by John Brown. She was 19 years old, a street worker who was addicted to crack. Her street name was Candace. According to her boyfriend Alex Tran, worked in the area of 118 Av between 92 St and 97 St. She was known for ripping off johns whenever she could get away with it; believed last seen between either May 4 to 8 2004 or June 4 and 8, 2004 - based on the reports of three different witnesses; found naked and breasts and genitalia had been removed and marks consistent with bruising on her legs, right forearm, neck and lower back; potentially lethal level of cocaine; insect activity indicated death "probably occurred on or before June 3-4" but "the presence of cocaine may have speeded this development".

Rachel was raised on the Frog Lake reserve which is 244km east of Edmonton. She was in a group home in 1997 at age 12; she was a friend of victims Charlene Gauld, Samantha Tayleen Berg and Monique Pitre. She gave birth to her son, who was placed in foster care six months before she died; her 4 y.o. daughter was adopted by relatives; she had 5 sisters, 2 brothers, her mother, Delia Quinney, is now an advocate for missing women. Rachel's brother, Keith Lajimodiere, says he blames his "gang lifestyle that he led". Dog groomers Derek Dixon and his wife Kirsten said they last saw Rachel in the Homemade Steak and Pizza restaurant (118 Av and 85 St NW) June 4, 2004. The owner of that restaurant, Tariq Khan, told the court he believes he last saw Rachel some time before June 17, when she came in to use the bathroom. Thomas Svekla (convicted in the murder of Theresa Merrie Innes) was charged with Rachel’s murder, but was acquitted.

Charlene was last seen April 10 2005 in Edmonton. Her burned body was found around 9:00 am April 16 2005 by an oil field worker in a site belonging to Apache Oil at Twp Rd 490 and RR 220 (Hwy 623 and 617). She was 20 years old, born April 20 1984 and was a street worker who was addicted to crack, morphine and dilaudid. Her street name was Roxanne, and she was known to turn tricks primarily around 95 St and 105 Av; last seen between April 8 and 10 near a home she frequented on 107A Av.

Charlene was reported missing April 13. There were several reported sightings, including by a friend and staff at AADAC (detox/rehab .. Alcohol & Drug Addiction Centre) on 102A Av, and a woman, who later recognized Charlene’s photograph in the newspaper. The woman said she saw her getting into a black pickup truck on the evening of April 10. Due to the fact that Charlene's body was burned, the perp may have had burns to upper body, eyebrows, hair, etc. Charlene was a friend to other victims Samantha Tayleen Berg and Rachel Quinney. Charlene had a daughter in 2002. She had a brother who was 18 years old at the time, and the family had cabin at Okanagan Lake

Does LE think all these women are victims of the same perp? I wonder if Rachael Quinney was mutilated because she "was known to ripoff johns"?
Also wondering why poi "allowed" Amber T. to receive a phonecall,could he have changed his voice for the benefit of caller, any chance he is panicking now that his voice was recorded?

I think the title should be corrected. The article says 20 women since 1983.

Where is the 83 women coming from?

otto said:

I think the title should be corrected. The article says 20 women since 1983.

Where is the 83 women coming from?

Click to expand...

The title is more accurate as it is. Those who are still just known to be missing can't be classified as having been murdered, so 83 is more than likely the total of those still missing and those that have turned up murdered.

The title probably can't ever be accurate dotr ... the numbers change, depending on how many are still missing, murdered, how many murders that KARE handles out of the total, how many KARE can link, etc. Their oldest case goes back to 1932 (but they have never provided any details whatsoever regarding that case).

dotr said:

Does LE think all these women are victims of the same perp? I wonder if Rachael Quinney was mutilated because she "was known to ripoff johns"?
Also wondering why poi "allowed" Amber T. to receive a phonecall,could he have changed his voice for the benefit of caller, any chance he is panicking now that his voice was recorded?

Click to expand...

I hope he IS totally messing in his skivvies right now. The call may have taken him by surprise and he didn't have time to think out how to handle it before Amber actually answered her cell. I think the first indication we have is fairly early into her convo where we hear the perp mutter "just ...". Such a little word, but the tone smacks to me of when the grandkids come in with their millionth question of the day and I want to say "just ... shut the heck up", but instead respond with "no honeybunch, we need to ...."

Sorry otto ... my screen was weird and I thought it was dotr I was replying to and I was too late to edit.

Good to see you in here

Shot in the dark, again, but...any chance at all this guy has anything to do with it?
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14192&highlight=melvin+canada+Howe

Wondering if the poi, murders every female he picks up, or is selective i.e. - are confrontational, they tell him they have kids or like drugs or mad at b.friend ect.?
If there is something particular like that(hard to know, but families or friends might wager guess,) Then other girls who may accept rides from strangers on reg. basis, might wear a recording device to capture potential poi's voice. Obviously expensive and intrusive, so the girls most likely to be" invited" to be picked up - should be the ones to get one. With any luck, voice will be recognized.
Besides, the cost now would be a lot less than the human and le resources later. imo. Hope idea is not too out there....

Random suggestion after listening to variety of men speak- railway, dispatcher or hydro worker?

Police identify the remains of Amber Tucarro just one week after releasing the cellphone conversation in which the male driver's voice can be heard in the background. Seems he got away with murder...
http://beaconnews.ca/calgary/2012/09/police-identify-remains-of-amber-tuccaro/

otto said:

I think the title should be corrected. The article says 20 women since 1983.

Where is the 83 women coming from?

Click to expand...

I think the 83 came from when KARE was created. I'll see if I can find a link!

kmclaren said:

I think the 83 came from when KARE was created. I'll see if I can find a link!

Click to expand...

Here's reference to the 83 cases:

At the time of KARE's formation, there were 83 cases of women who had gone missing under suspicious circumstances, six of whom had met with foul play.

And as of March 2012:

MacNeil can't say how many investigations KARE is involved with now, but said it's less than 50.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2012/03/04/19457556.html

dotr said:

Random suggestion after listening to variety of men speak- railway, dispatcher or hydro worker?

Click to expand...

Wish we knew which motel Amber had stayed at in Nisku. Might give us more of an idea the type of area dude was hanging in. When I get some time, I'll try to piece something together re the gas station seen behind the RCMP spokesperson in the video. IIRC, he indicated that Amber had disappeared from the area he was standing.