CANADA Canada - Mariella Lennie, 17, Yellowknife, NWT, 6 October 1991

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Mariella Lennie, 17, of Tulita Dene First Nation

Mariella Lennie was last seen leaving the Discovery Inn on 50 Avenue on Oct. 6, 1991, and she was reported missing 12 days later. On May 8, 1992, her body was found floating in Great Slave Lake on a Northern shore in Yellowknife Bay near a dock for an abandoned gold mine.

Mariella's body was badly decomposed, face unrecognizable, and was identified by her dental records. Her pants were found undone and down her legs, she was missing a shoe and was shirtless. She had a bump (or a "mark") on her head. A cause of death was not determined, however, according to family, the coroner's report states that she did not have water in her lungs. They were also unable to determine if she had been sexually assaulted.

Her Aunt Bertha Lennie says that Mariella could not have driven herself out to the remote area around the mine where her body was found.

"Yellowknife RCMP Sgt. Eric Lane said the police ruled Lennie's death a homicide immediately. Lane said they have accumulated a large amount of information on the case..."At this point in time, it's enormous," he said. "It's gone through several lead investigators who have continued to push it along. It has never really gone cold. Information keeps coming in on that file."...Lane said the RCMP does not have enough information to lay a charge."

“The possibility that Lennie’s death is related to other missing Indigenous women has been, and will continue to be explored both within the NWT and in other jurisdictions” said Cpl. Mike Lewis of the RCMP

If you have any information regarding the homicide of Mariella Lennie please contact one of the following:

• Northwest Territories RCMP Major Crimes Unit at 867–669–1111
• Crime Stoppers at 1–800–661–0899

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National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Truth-Gathering Process | Part 1 Statement Gathering | Tuesday January 23, 2018 | Statement - Volume 201 | Bertha Lennie, In relation to Mariella Lennie | Statement gathered by Marie-Audrey Girard

Yellowknifer: "YK COLD CASE FILES: What happened to Mariella Lennie?" - Anna James - published 31 January 2022

CBC Missing & Murdered: "Mariella Lennie | 17 years old, from Tulita Dene First Nation, murdered in 1991":

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CBC News: "Mariella Lennie homicide still unsolved after more than 20 years | 17-year-old was found dead in Yellowknife in 1992" - Hilary Bird - published 9 April 2015

Medium: "A Family Left Without Answers After Teen Murdered— Mariella Lennie (1991) Mariella Lennie was a beautiful 17-year-old with her entire life ahead of her. She left the small community she had been raised in to pursue her education. Only a month later she vanished." - Dani Bujold - 21 May 2024

Justice for Native People: "Mariella Lennie, Unsolved Homicide from the Northwest Territories in 1992" - Posted 31 October 2018 by Mak