Found Deceased Canada - Thelma Krull, 58, Winnipeg MB, 11 July 2015

[Jackeee]

I think of Thelma daily and check here and the Internet for any news of her. If it wasn't for her glasses being found, I would have thought that she had a medical episode and fell down an embankment and is hidden just enough that she was overlooked in the searches.

Just because Thelma is in her 50's, doesn't exclude her from a random abduction or assault.

I'm in my 60's and I was walking my dog on a road in an industrial area on a weekend so there was hardly any traffic. As I stopped in a shady spot to give my dog water, a man in a pickup truck drove slowly by in the middle of the road. As he passed I could see him watching me through his side view mirror.

I immediately felt uneasy. Maybe the driver was just looking at my dog rolling in the grass in front of the factory. Maybe having my dog with me (all 20 lbs of her) is what saved me, as in not worth the trouble. Maybe I was too old. Or maybe it was nothing. Regardless, I was by myself and vulnerable. Lesson learned. I was very glad to get home.

Since I'm rambling, three years ago I was the victim of a random assault in a city I recently moved from. I was waiting for a streetcar on a beautiful Sunday morning. While I was checking my phone for the time of the next streetcar I noticed a man approaching me with a cup in his hand. I thought he was going to ask me for money. However, what he had in that cup was urine, which he threw in my face. It was a nasty experience which I will never forget. I had never seen this man before but he chose me as his victim. You just never know.

 

[GigTu]

Geez Jackeee. That's really gross. I'm sorry. Do you have any inkling of his motivation? What did you do next?

 

[LoisLane]

I find the video footage of Thelma walking on her street very grainy and I hope that investigators have a firm confirmation that it is in fact Thelma. I can't help but think that someone of similar height and weight could have staged that video and if so they would have been aware beforehand that a neighbour, possibly a friend uses CCTV cameras. The cell phone ping if staged would mean that person is rather techy to include that as part of the trail. I also find it odd that Thelma was wearing those heavy hiking boots on such a hot day Instead of running shoes. Perhaps she was breaking in the boots for her WCT hike. The boots stand out as bulky so if it was in fact her in that footage and she climbed up that large hill perhaps she tripped or lost her footing. Maybe she was pushed and tumbled down the hill, losing her glasses (IIRC that was where the glasses were found). If she was pushed down the hill would it be easier to transfer her to a vehicle?

I am not convinced the CCTV footage was her.

 

[Jackeee]

Geez Jackeee. That's really gross. I'm sorry. Do you have any inkling of his motivation? What did you do next?

There was no motive. He had mental health issues and lived in a nearby homeless shelter and was looking for a victim. People stayed with me and the police and paramedics arrived while I was still on the 911 call. They were amazing. The police apprehended the male before I got to hospital. Sadly, because it wasn't proven that I was injured in any way, he only had to sign a peace bond that he wouldn't try to contact me in any way for a year.
A year later, after I had pushed it to the back of my mind, I encountered him in front of the condo building that I was living in. He smiled and nodded. A couple of days later I saw him again on the other side of the street. I went to the police and they had no interest whatsoever. I was told it was a coincidence and that he probably didn't even recognize me and to just get on with my life. I asked the officer if that's what he would tell his wife, mother, sister etc. if they had been assaulted and had urine thrown in their face. Just get on with your life? No answer. I moved shortly afterward.

 

[Jackeee]

There was no motive. He had mental health issues and lived in a nearby homeless shelter and was looking for a victim. People stayed with me and the police and paramedics arrived while I was still on the 911 call. They were amazing. The police apprehended the male before I got to hospital. Sadly, because it wasn't proven that I was injured in any way, he only had to sign a peace bond that he wouldn't try to contact me in any way for a year.
A year later, after I had pushed it to the back of my mind, I encountered him in front of the condo building that I was living in. He smiled and nodded. A couple of days later I saw him again on the other side of the street. I went to the police and they had no interest whatsoever. I was told it was a coincidence and that he probably didn't even recognize me and to just get on with my life. I asked the officer if that's what he would tell his wife, mother, sister etc. if they had been assaulted and had urine thrown in their face. Just get on with your life? No answer. I moved shortly afterward.

This site is about Thelma, not me. I wanted to show how your life can change in an instant. I'm so very lucky that this male (I can't call him a man) didn't throw acid in my face.
Thelma may have met up with someone that she had no reason not to trust or it could have been a stranger. I hope they find her soon so that the mystery can be put to rest. I don't believe that she would have willingly missed her grandchilds birthday party.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

This is just my opinion:

I don't think there was a big struggle or abduction at the park otherwise people would have noticed and come forward. If there was, LE know this and are keeping it quiet.

I think she left the park with someone she knew in a vehicle (so no struggle) and the glasses were put in the park after the fact as a red herring. I also think the other things found at the park were scattered there like breadcrumbs as a distraction/red herring.

This whole thing does not seem random even though it's trying hard to *appear* like a random park/mugging/abduction incident.

Do we even know if there's physical proof or eye witness accounts she was even at the park?

We have video of her of her street and a cell phone ping and glasses that *place* her at the park but anyone could've went to the park with her glasses and cell. Was there a time of that cell phone ping? Her daughter called her at 9am, and she was last seen at 7:23am so within an hour and a half something happened.

 

[GigTu]

I don't think Thelma Krull was ever at that park on that day. I also don't think a stranger had anything to do with her disappearance. I think the answers lie much closer to home. jmo

 

[Arnie M]

My first thought when she went missing was suicide. I know her daughter said that TK didn't have any mental health issues but often people are unaware of what other people's struggles are.

Her Pinterest page inspirational quotes tell me she had some personal struggles at some point.
TK appears to have been working on herself and she does look different in her later photos.
Maybe she met someone who has turned out to be a creeper and she met up with him or her and was abducted.

Interesting. Her Pinterest page had her photo last week. Now it is gone but her pins are still there. I find her inspirational quotes interesting.

Has anyone noticed the inspirational quotes Thelma posted "two weeks ago"??!! I know she pinned some one week before she went missing, but as of today she has been missing for "more" than two weeks. Not sure though, how pinterest classifies "two weeks"

Give us an example or link please.

 

[GigTu]

This map highlights in gray the places searched.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?usp=sharing&mid=z4DavW6m4hpY.kIT279jnxp-4

My proposal is that the waterways and rail yards nearby in directions AWAY from where the glasses were found (planted?) need to be searched.

The pink circles are Toboggan Hill (left) and Home (right). The green circles are easy access waterways that might not have had a ton of people yet on a Saturday morning between 7:30-9:00 a.m.

 

[Arnie M]

.

(For what its worth) many of those areas have been flown over and searched by air (helicopter) .... and nothing obvious was spotted in the open spaces.

There are also a lot of automotive junk yards on the Eastern end of Springfield Road , I have considered inside a car trunk as a hiding place , but again , those places are staffed , often overrun with customers on Saturday (self dismantlers) , usually enclosed by chain link fences , and have mean guard dogs after hours. Trying to hide anything there would be very inconvenient , plus you would need the trunk keys..

Rail yards have a remote and barren perception to most of us , but they are actually busy places where trains are assembled and switched , they also have security (railroad police) because of all the freight cars full of cargo , and you could never drive a car into there , nor carry a 170 pound person in .

Most likely a vehicle was used , either by an acquaintance or stranger , and to dispose of evidence , the first choice would likely be to head for the open countryside.

My thinking anyway. Or as somebody else mentioned , she could be inside a house or building .

 

[GigTu]

There is open marshland just north of Winnipeg. Flying over isn't helpful if she was buried.

 

[BigSkyDi]

Have we talked about or discussed Thelma leading a secret life? I watched the video of her again (over and over) starting out on her walk and it is difficult to identify her but I'm sure her family might be able to say if it's her or not. It looks like in the video that she's got her head down looking at her phone. She might very well have been getting her music set up to listen to. Or........she was texting someone to tell them that she was "on her way." Perhaps there was an intent to meet a lover and she wanted to end things on this particular meeting/encounter and it went south from there? Passions and emotions run high in situations like this.

Anything is possible even for a 58-year-old grandmother. I am still convinced that the person was known to her and that she never made it to VGCC. And the glasses were planted there to divert attention. And LE knows way more than they are divulging to the media and public. They have her cell records and possibly her phone and I'm sure did forensics on the home computer. If you watch their press conferences they continually say they can't say anymore as this is an ongoing investigation. And in one press conference where the husband was answering a question about the glasses someone (media) asked him something else and he looked over at the cop to see if he should answer the question and if they could have pushed him away from the mike they would have! Almost comical but they shut it down at that point.

I'd bet money that LE has some person of interest in their sights and are just building their case.

 

[Selah84]

This map highlights in gray the places searched.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?usp=sharing&mid=z4DavW6m4hpY.kIT279jnxp-4

My proposal is that the waterways and rail yards nearby in directions AWAY from where the glasses were found (planted?) need to be searched.

The pink circles are Toboggan Hill (left) and Home (right). The green circles are easy access waterways that might not have had a ton of people yet on a Saturday morning between 7:30-9:00 a.m.
View attachment 79263

Hi GigTu, thank you for the map. Are you part of the search organization? Do you know if people are still searching? None of this case makes sense to me :-(
Yesterday my mother and I drove out highway 59 and we talked about this case along the way. There is so much area outside the city limits close to the area she went missing. I can't imagine how all sites could possibly be searched. If this was a random abduction, and the individual did use a vehicle, I think areas out highway 59 should be searched. Has any areas around the floodway been searched? I can't understand how something like this could happen. Stranger abduction doesn't make much sense, but I feel if it was anyone known to her, the police would have more to go on. I honestly believe the police don't have much.

To other WS members following this case, can you think of any other cases you have come across that are similar to this one?

 

[Selah84]

Another thought, is it possible that this could be someone who has done something similar before, but is new to the area. I would think a random attack would be more obvious, there would be more evidence, etc. I think the lack of evidence and the boldness of the attack would indicate someone who has done this before and got away with it. I could be wrong, but I would think if someone did this spur of the moment, or it was their first time doing something like this, there would be more to go on.

 

[BigSkyDi]

Hi GigTu, thank you for the map. Are you part of the search organization? Do you know if people are still searching? None of this case makes sense to me :-(
Yesterday my mother and I drove out highway 59 and we talked about this case along the way. There is so much area outside the city limits close to the area she went missing. I can't imagine how all sites could possibly be searched. If this was a random abduction, and the individual did use a vehicle, I think areas out highway 59 should be searched. Has any areas around the floodway been searched? I can't understand how something like this could happen. Stranger abduction doesn't make much sense, but I feel if it was anyone known to her, the police would have more to go on. I honestly believe the police don't have much.

To other WS members following this case, can you think of any other cases you have come across that are similar to this one?

There was a case discussed here on Websleuths about 18 months ago that was similar to this. It was Jeffrey Boucher in Whitby, ON who went out for his morning jog one Monday morning and never returned home. There was really no proof like a video that he actually left the house that morning and his family was still sleeping when he left. But it was his usual thing to do before work as a teacher. A neighbour remembered seeing him running that morning when she went to get her morning paper out of the mailbox. He disappeared in mid-January and was found deceased at the end of March on the shores of Lake Ontario when the ice started melting. His death was ruled as an accident. The autopsy showed no signs of foul play and the toxicity tests came back clear. It is quite a mystery how he ended up dead after what was apparently a normal and uneventful weekend with his family. There was an unusual thing that happened the night before. He went jogging later in the evening before and took longer than usual and the daughter went looking for him in the family van only to find him on his way home and acting like nothing was wrong. The family had no indications the next morning that he had any intentions not to come back home. It was a very puzzling case but I felt from the get-go that it was suicide despite the lack of evidence that it was.

 

[pinklilies]

Thanks for this interesting piece on Jeffrey. It made me google for more info and found an interview his wife and daughter did, January gone, in the DurhamRegion. A local journalist also wrote a very small 'book' about him too. Sad isn't it really, his wife still doesn't feel she has all the answers.

Just edited to post my apologies to Thelma for me getting side tracked :/

I came to see if there were any updates.

 

[GigTu]

Thank you for the Jeffrey Boucher information. Goes to show we never do really know what's in someone's head.

I am not part of the search teams other than my "Web sleuthing".

 

[Selah84]

Yes, thank you for that information. I did some research today, and sadly I found most cases either it was suicide or an intentional disappearance, or someone close to the person was involved. I am definitely not saying I believe this was family in any way. This case makes me sad. I have followed websleuths for quite a while, but I have never had a case hit so close to home. Prayers to the family that something is found so they have some understanding, whatever that may be.

 

[Arnie M]

One of the things I found "strange" about the Jeffrey Boucher case was all his clothes had been removed.

The autopsy said there were no indications of foul play , which indicates (to me anyway) that his body had been preserved intact in the ice (they had to chip him out of the ice)

It does not sound like he was all cut up and bashed from waves action against the shore to explain the missing clothing .

 

[KMouse]

I haven't read up on this particular case.
Did this fellow in the cold weather?
People who die of hypothermia take off their clothes because they become hot and confused.

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