Speaker 1: Hello friends, Steve Stockton here with you. Welcome to our
Speaker 1: latest video. In this episode, we bring you the tragic
Speaker 1: tale of the Highway of Tears. Join me, let's take
Speaker 1: a walk and see. Project e Pana is a Royal
Speaker 1: Canadian Mounted Police or the RCMP Task Force, greeted in
Speaker 1: two thousand and five with the purpose of solving cases
Speaker 1: of missing and murdered Indigenous persons along a section of
Speaker 1: Highway sixteen. All the victims were female. Between Prince Rupert
Speaker 1: British Columbia and Prince George, British Columbia, this road came
Speaker 1: to be known as the Highway of Tears. The name
Speaker 1: of the Project e Pana was chosen from a combination
Speaker 1: of E from E Division, which is the RCMP division
Speaker 1: that has jurisdiction over British Columbia, and Pana, which is
Speaker 1: the name of an Intuit goddess who cares for souls
Speaker 1: before heaven or reincarnation. Though it started with the scope
Speaker 1: of investigating victims of Highway sixteen, within a year of
Speaker 1: its formation, more to include victims along the Highways five,
Speaker 1: twenty four and ninety seven. First up, we have Gloria
Speaker 1: Lavina Moody. Her case is considered unsolved and she's still missing.
Speaker 1: This was the first ephan a case from the Highway
Speaker 1: of Tears reported to have happened on October twenty fifth,
Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine, for twenty six year old mother of
Speaker 1: two Gloria Lavina Moody was last seen by friends and
Speaker 1: family leaving a bar in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada.
Speaker 1: She'd visited several bars that night with her brother, which
Speaker 1: included the Ranch Hotel, the Maple Leaf and the Lake View.
Speaker 1: Family had been on a road trip at the time
Speaker 1: of her disappearance. Moody's brother stated that Gloria was right
Speaker 1: behind him when they left the Ranch Hotel together, but
Speaker 1: couldn't recall events after that. Later the next day, October
Speaker 1: twenty sixth, Gloria Lavina Moody's body was found about six
Speaker 1: miles from Williams Lake on a livestock trail by hunters
Speaker 1: that were in the area. Moody was found naked, beaten,
Speaker 1: and assaulted. She died from blood loss due to injuries
Speaker 1: sustained during the assault. The RCMP took a statement from
Speaker 1: the family as well as the two hunters that found Moody.
Speaker 1: During the investigation, three suspects were questioned, and, although never arrested,
Speaker 1: the RCMP stated they were sure the unnamed suspects were
Speaker 1: responsible for the assault and subsequent death. All three suspects
Speaker 1: are now deceased and the case remains officially unsolved. Vanessa Hollins,
Speaker 1: Gloria Moody's daughter, stated much of the family and community
Speaker 1: still suffered the trauma of what happened to our mother.
Speaker 1: Lauria Lavina Moody's body was found off of Highway ninety seven.
Speaker 1: She was a First Nations member and the RCMP's first
Speaker 1: official E panic case. She was She was a First
Speaker 1: Nations member and the RCMP's first E panic case. Officially,
Speaker 1: Gloria Lavina Moody's case is still unsolved. Anyone that may
Speaker 1: have a potential leader tip is encouraged call two five
Speaker 1: zero three ninety two six two one one. Lauria Leavina
Speaker 1: Moody is from the Bella Coola Indian Reserve of the
Speaker 1: New Hawk Nation in British Columbia. The New Hawk Nation
Speaker 1: is part of the Coastal Salash people. Next, we have CAYLEB. McKay.
Speaker 1: On April thirteenth, two thousand and four, thirteen year old
Speaker 1: Kayla McKay went missing from the Prince Rupert area of
Speaker 1: British Columbia under mysterious and baffling circumstances. McKay's death was
Speaker 1: neither ruled by taking your own life nor homicide. Her
Speaker 1: body was found two days later by the railroad tracks
Speaker 1: by waterfront area and Prince Rupert's George Hill's Way. Her
Speaker 1: death was found to be from acute alcohol poisoning and
Speaker 1: stated in her autopsy report. Technically, McKay's case does meet
Speaker 1: the criteria for the Epanic cases, but was curiously not added.
Speaker 1: Macay's parents continue to inquire about her actual cause of death.
Speaker 1: Do you have any information about the death of Kayla
Speaker 1: McKay encouraged to call the RCMP Prince Rupert Detachment the
Speaker 1: two five zero six two four two one three six Next.
Speaker 1: Lana Derek. On October seventh, nineteen ninety five, nineteen year
Speaker 1: old Northwest Community College forestry student Lana Derek went missing
Speaker 1: from a gas station on Highway sixteen while on her
Speaker 1: way to visit her sister, in the company of two
Speaker 1: unidentified men. Derek had gone to school and stopped by
Speaker 1: her parents' house earlier in the day to drop off
Speaker 1: her backpack and other school supplies. She met up with
Speaker 1: a friend for a night out in the town and
Speaker 1: also spoke with her sister. The two made plans to
Speaker 1: meet later that night after Derek's sister finished her workshift
Speaker 1: so that Lana could pick up money her sister owed
Speaker 1: to her. At around three point thirty that morning, Lana
Speaker 1: arrived at her sister's house and collected the money. This
Speaker 1: was the last known sighting of Lana Derek. She wasn't
Speaker 1: immediately reported missing, as family believed she was out with friends.
Speaker 1: On October eleventh, nineteen ninety five, friends and family realized
Speaker 1: that Lana was missing, and a small search party was
Speaker 1: organized eyes to search for the student along the Highway
Speaker 1: of Tears. The family notified police at the disappearance, but
Speaker 1: was brushed off as the police didn't take her case seriously.
Speaker 1: A family member stated that the police assumed Lanta was
Speaker 1: with a boyfriend or out partying with friends. Lanta Derek's
Speaker 1: family made missing persons posters to place in businesses along
Speaker 1: Highway sixteen. This is where the next sighting was reported.
Speaker 1: A gas station attendant stated that they observed Lanta Derek
Speaker 1: early on the morning of the seventh, in a beat
Speaker 1: up car in the company of two rough looking men. However,
Speaker 1: this tip couldn't be confirmed as the surveillance tapes had
Speaker 1: already been taped over from that time period. It was
Speaker 1: also said that the police were skeptical of the attendants statement.
Speaker 1: The police asked for the public assistance via media, and
Speaker 1: a sketch artist was brought in to compose drawings of
Speaker 1: the men from that night. The sketches were released to
Speaker 1: the public on one of Atlanta Derek's missing person's posters.
Speaker 1: By the end of October, the search for Atlanta was
Speaker 1: called off. In nineteen ninety seven, Lanta Derek's aunt, Sally Gibson,
Speaker 1: offered a ten thousand dollars reward for her niece's known whereabouts.
Speaker 1: In two thousand and seven, Liz Douglas, the investigator handling
Speaker 1: the Derek case, stated there were still several open leads
Speaker 1: that were being pursued. One lead was that Atlanta had
Speaker 1: been threatened by an next boyfriend in the past. It
Speaker 1: was reported that the ex boyfriend took his own life
Speaker 1: the night Lana went missing. There was also a dispute
Speaker 1: with the neighbor of which Lanta was involved in Landa
Speaker 1: Derek's case is one of the official eighteen cases from
Speaker 1: the EPANA report. She's part of the gitt Now First
Speaker 1: Nation and the gitts San people from Terrace, British Columbia.
Speaker 1: Landa Derek's case remains unsolved and she hasn't been seen
Speaker 1: or heard from since October seventh, nineteen seventy five. If
Speaker 1: you have any information on the disappearance of Lanta Derek,
Speaker 1: you're encouraged to call Valley Pacific Investigations at eighte six
Speaker 1: six ninety six, two five five eight five. Landa Derek
Speaker 1: was described as the First Nation's female with brown hair
Speaker 1: and brown eyes. Her aunt said she believes someone would
Speaker 1: have a tough time just taking Lanna because she was tough.
Speaker 1: The disappearance of Lanna caused a strain on her family members.
Speaker 1: When asked how the police had Landa Derek's case, her aunt,
Speaker 1: Sally Gibson, had this to say, quote the police helped
Speaker 1: us the first seventy two hours. After that, they told
Speaker 1: us to return home and wait. If any new leads
Speaker 1: came up, they would call us end quote. After seven years,
Speaker 1: the Derek family was encouraged to have a memorial for
Speaker 1: but to do so would mean accepting she is gone,
Speaker 1: and they don't think she is and remain hopeful to
Speaker 1: this day that she will return. Lanta Derek was reported
Speaker 1: to be wearing a green cotton sweater, blue jeans, and
Speaker 1: white tennis shoes when she was last seen. Family and
Speaker 1: friends described her as shy, goofy, and eager to learn.
Speaker 1: There was a vigil hell for Lanta Derek where her
Speaker 1: stepfather spoke and had this to say. Quote, we need
Speaker 1: to give our young people something to grasp onto so
Speaker 1: they don't go astray. It's better if we can stop
Speaker 1: these things from happening. Young women need to be aware
Speaker 1: of their surroundings and don't play with fire when it
Speaker 1: comes to relationships. The Northwest is a very big country.
Speaker 1: We get the weirdest people do here, so we have
Speaker 1: to be watchful and pulled together. End quote. This statement
Speaker 1: was said to be in reference to Atlanta's possible involvement
Speaker 1: in abuse of relationship. One of our other aunts at
Speaker 1: the vigil described her niece as loving to work outside
Speaker 1: lobbying and all things that went with it. She was
Speaker 1: really good in her classes, she was really gung hole
Speaker 1: about going to college, and she was doing really well.
Speaker 1: She was happy. Indeed, Lane appeared to have her whole
Speaker 1: life ahead of her. But now our family has been
Speaker 1: left in the limbo of not knowing that many of
Speaker 1: us could not fathom. We can only hope that someday,
Speaker 1: some conclusion, some solace, some justice comes to Lanta and
Speaker 1: her family. And this person is just one of many.
Speaker 1: But tears have been shed for another life along this
Speaker 1: tragic highway of tears. LANDA Derek is still missing to
Speaker 1: this day. Next up, we have Cecilia Nichol. On October first,
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty nine, eighteen year old Cecilia Nichol went missing
Speaker 1: from Vancouver, British Columbia, after having just moved there August
Speaker 1: of the same year. Nichol had moved to the area
Speaker 1: to reside with her mother, but left shortly after to
Speaker 1: reside on the streets. Cecilia was reportedly last seen at
Speaker 1: Smithers in British Columbia. There was a non official report
Speaker 1: that Nichol had moved to Vancouver Island, but this is
Speaker 1: thought to be untrue. Nichol is one of the eighteen
Speaker 1: official missing persons on the EPANA report, as is her
Speaker 1: cousin Delphine Nicchol that is also missing from the Highway
Speaker 1: of Tears. Do you have any information on the disappearance
Speaker 1: of Cecilia Nickel or any tips on her whereabouts to
Speaker 1: encourage to police, contact the Vancouver Police Department at six
Speaker 1: zero four seven one seven to five three zero. Cecilia
Speaker 1: Nichol has described as five foot four inches tall, one
Speaker 1: hundred and twenty eight pounds, black, aaron brown eyes and
Speaker 1: as a First Nation's member, She's known to alternate this
Speaker 1: speeling of her first name and it could either be
Speaker 1: Cicilia or Cecilia. Next up, we have Cecilia's cousin, Delphine Nickel,
Speaker 1: that I just mentioned. On June thirteenth, nineteen ninety, fifteen
Speaker 1: year old Delphine Nickel went missing from Smithers, British Columbia,
Speaker 1: a small town of just over five thousand on the
Speaker 1: Highway of Tiers. Nicol was last seen hitchhiking on Highway
Speaker 1: sixteen and King Street. She was trying to get home
Speaker 1: to tel Qua, British Columbia. Just a year prior to
Speaker 1: Delphine nichols disappearance, her cousin, whom we mentioned previously, Cecilia Nickel,
Speaker 1: went missing from the same area. Smithers, BC is one
Speaker 1: of the many small towns on the Highway of Tiers
Speaker 1: that suffers from poverty and lack of resources for its residents.
Speaker 1: Many people are forced to hitchhike to get from one
Speaker 1: place to another, making abductions from the area all too common.
Speaker 1: Delphine Nicol is also of the original eighteen e Panna
Speaker 1: missing Indigenous. Delphine Nicol has never been found and no
Speaker 1: one has ever been arrested in connection with their disappearance.
Speaker 1: If you, or anyone you know has any information on
Speaker 1: the disappearance of Delphine Nickel or any of the circumstances
Speaker 1: surrounding her case, you're encouraged to please contact the RCMP
Speaker 1: at two five zero eight four seven three two three three.
Speaker 1: Delphine Nichol is described as being five foot three inches
Speaker 1: tall and weighing one hundred and thirty four pounds. Like
Speaker 1: brown hair and hazelias identifying marx Ars follows a right
Speaker 1: temporal scar, a purple birthmark on her back, and a
Speaker 1: broken right index finger. Delphine is a First Nations member. Next,
Speaker 1: we have Alberta Gail Williams. On August twenty fifth, nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty nine, twenty six year old Alberta Gail Williams disappeared
Speaker 1: from a pub in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, while out
Speaker 1: with her sister. The two left work at a seasonal
Speaker 1: cannery earlier that day and we're making plans to go
Speaker 1: to a house party later that night when she went missing.
Speaker 1: On September twenty fifth, nineteen eighty nine, Williams's body was
Speaker 1: discovered about twenty three miles from Prince Rupert on the
Speaker 1: Highway of Tears. Alberta Gail Williams had been assaulted and
Speaker 1: strangled Claudia Williams, Alberta's sister, stated she is under the
Speaker 1: assumption that a man killed her sister. An unnamed man
Speaker 1: that worked at the same cannery facility as Williams and
Speaker 1: her sister was romantically pursuing Alberta in the weeks before
Speaker 1: she went missing. Alberta Williams I told the man that
Speaker 1: she had a boyfriend and wasn't interested in his advances. Now,
Speaker 1: this verson's non official suspect and has never been questioned
Speaker 1: by the police. It's unknown how this coworker reacted to
Speaker 1: Williams's non interest in the man's advances. Alberta Gail Williams
Speaker 1: is one of the eighteen original Epanic cases and there
Speaker 1: are no new leads in her death. If you, were
Speaker 1: anyone you know has any information on the disappearance or
Speaker 1: death of Alberta gil Williams, or any of the soircumstances
Speaker 1: surrounding her case, you're encouraged to call the Vancouver Police
Speaker 1: Department at six zero four seven one seven three three
Speaker 1: two one Next up. Helena Edna Tomat. In nineteen eighty nine,
Speaker 1: seventeen year old Helena Edna Tomat went missing near Westbrook,
Speaker 1: British Columbia, after she was last seen hitchhiking on Highway sixteen,
Speaker 1: the Highway of Tears. In nineteen ninety one, her skeletonized
Speaker 1: remains were found and had to be identified through dental records.
Speaker 1: Along with her remains were the remains of another woman,
Speaker 1: thirty four year old Elise Freezing, was also found in
Speaker 1: the same area. Both cases remain cold and have no
Speaker 1: new leads. If you, or anyone you know has any
Speaker 1: information on the disappearance of Alberta Gail Williams or any
Speaker 1: of the circumstances surrounding her case, please contact the Kelowna
Speaker 1: Police Department at two five to zero seven sixty two
Speaker 1: three three zero zero. Helena Edna Toomat is described as
Speaker 1: having brown hair and brown eyes and was the First
Speaker 1: Nation's member next Tanya Lisk. On July eighteen, two thousand
Speaker 1: and four, sixteen year old Tonya Lisk went missing from Vernon,
Speaker 1: British Columbia, well on her way to Calgary. Earlier that day,
Speaker 1: Lisz contacted a friend to let her know what the
Speaker 1: plans were for that day. That was the last known
Speaker 1: communication anyone had with her. Through interviews with the friend
Speaker 1: and family, it's believed that Lisk was hitchhiking on Highway
Speaker 1: sixteen when she went missing. Very little information is available
Speaker 1: in the Tonia Lisk case. The criteria set by the
Speaker 1: RCMP didn't meet their requirements to add list to the
Speaker 1: original eighteen cases for the e Pana project, even though
Speaker 1: she was female, a First Nations member and hitchhiking when
Speaker 1: last seen. You or anyone you know, has any information,
Speaker 1: no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, regarding
Speaker 1: the disappearance of Tania Lisk or any of the circumstances
Speaker 1: surrounding her case. Again, you're encouraged to call them Mount
Speaker 1: Vernon RCMP at two five zero five four five seven
Speaker 1: one seven one. Donia Lisk is described as a First
Speaker 1: Nation's member, five foot seven inches tall with brown hair
Speaker 1: and brown eyes. Next up Tamara Chipman. On September twenty
Speaker 1: one of two thousand and five, this twenty two year
Speaker 1: old mother of a two year old son went missing
Speaker 1: from Prince Ruver, British Columbia, while hitchhiking around the area
Speaker 1: of Industrial Park. It is unknown if authorities ever searched
Speaker 1: for Chipman, but her First Nation status led to Morristown
Speaker 1: Reserve organizing a search. Tamara Chipman is one of the
Speaker 1: eighteen Epanic cases, but little information is available in her case.
Speaker 1: Because of her background as a sex worker and having
Speaker 1: a couple of warrants. It's rumored that the police didn't
Speaker 1: investigate the case as well as they could have. Having
Speaker 1: warrants would leave the average person believed that the police
Speaker 1: would want to find shipment, if for nothing else, to
Speaker 1: make sure she's still alive. In interviews given by friends
Speaker 1: and family, they believe Tamara Chipman is deceased and was
Speaker 1: dumped around the area of Tweedled. The tweedledum Lakes. Other
Speaker 1: witnesses have declined to come forward or comment on the
Speaker 1: case in fear of quote the same thing happening to
Speaker 1: them unquote. In an exclusive interview by a family member
Speaker 1: of Chipments that wish to remain anonymous, Tamara Chipman was
Speaker 1: trying to get her life on track for her young
Speaker 1: son and was giving up her current job as a
Speaker 1: sex worker to do something better with her life for
Speaker 1: her and for her son. Chipman as described as a
Speaker 1: daddy's girl. From the day she was born, she had
Speaker 1: her daddy wrapped around her finger. Tamora's mother said in
Speaker 1: an interview her friends and family love her very much
Speaker 1: and just want to bring her home. Either way, they
Speaker 1: just want closure, and more so for her son. Unfortunately,
Speaker 1: Tamara Chipman's case is all too familiar for high risk
Speaker 1: behaviors are thought to be a part of their life.
Speaker 1: Their disappearances have sometimes dismissed because of sex work, or
Speaker 1: drugs and alcohol, or a combination thereof. These factors tend
Speaker 1: to dehumanize the individual, and instead of looking past a
Speaker 1: person's shortcomings, they are defined by them. This is what
Speaker 1: makes these cases so heartbreaking. With a poverty rate as
Speaker 1: high as twenty nine percent. These circumstances unfortunately force at
Speaker 1: risk women and girls to make choices they wouldn't otherwise
Speaker 1: necessarily make given better opportunities. Tamara Chipman's parents, John and
Speaker 1: Corey Chipman, have been searching for since her disappearance. They
Speaker 1: posted flyers at bus stations, truck stops, convenience stores, and
Speaker 1: other high traffic areas. The flyer shows a photo of
Speaker 1: Chipman and has her description. When asked about driving the
Speaker 1: same highway that their daughter went missing on, Chipman's father said,
Speaker 1: my mind is always wondering what possibilities could have happened.
Speaker 1: It's about a ninety mile stretch and there's really no
Speaker 1: communities in between. Recalling the last conversation he had with
Speaker 1: his daughter, John Chipman went on to say, we were
Speaker 1: in the truck on our way home, and one of
Speaker 1: the things I remember was her coming over the back
Speaker 1: seat and grabbing me around the shoulders and telling me
Speaker 1: that she loved me. A tearful interview given by Tamara
Speaker 1: Chipman's parents on the documentary Highway of Tears is a
Speaker 1: stark reminder of a life cut tragically short and a
Speaker 1: family left to wonder what happened and just where is
Speaker 1: their daughter sitting around the kitchen table with family. Tamra's
Speaker 1: parents would go through pictures of her younger life. One
Speaker 1: such picture shows her taking her first steps as a
Speaker 1: baby in Oscar the Grouch Sandals, while another shows her
Speaker 1: as a vibrant thirteen year old. The documentary was the
Speaker 1: first time Chipman's mother had spoken about her daughter's disappearance,
Speaker 1: having also lost her mother around the same time her
Speaker 1: daughter went missing. Corey Chipman had this to say when
Speaker 1: ask about searching for her missing daughter. It is too hard.
Speaker 1: I just couldn't bring myself to go walking along the road,
Speaker 1: looking in ditches and in creaks and ponds looking for
Speaker 1: my child. I just couldn't believe that I should have
Speaker 1: to do so. Not wanting to get their daughter in
Speaker 1: any more trouble, Tamra Chipman's parents didn't initially report her
Speaker 1: missing and search for her on their own. Tamara Chipman
Speaker 1: is described as the first Nation's female, standing five foot
Speaker 1: ten inches tall, one hundred and thirty pounds, with brown
Speaker 1: hair and brown eyes, identifying marks or a small freckle
Speaker 1: beneath her eye, and her hair was cut very short
Speaker 1: at the time she went missing. She was also known
Speaker 1: to wear wigs of different colors. Tammer belongs to the
Speaker 1: First Nation's tribe Morristown Band of Sweatin, and this reservation
Speaker 1: is right off Highway sixteen. Next the case of Jean
Speaker 1: Virginia Sampara. On October fourteenth, nineteen seventy one, eighteen year
Speaker 1: old Jean Virginia Sampar was reported missing after having spent
Speaker 1: the evening with her cousin Alvin. The pair were making
Speaker 1: their way home when Alvin left Jean on a bridge
Speaker 1: overlooking the Gainstugukla River to get a jacket to the
Speaker 1: temperatures that night. As he returned near the area where
Speaker 1: they had parted ways, he heard a car door slam.
Speaker 1: When he reached the location, Jean was nowhere to be seen.
Speaker 1: Jean was born into the Gitsen First Nations family and
Speaker 1: was the second youngest of six children. She attended high
Speaker 1: school in Hazelton, British Columbia, where she also worked at
Speaker 1: a local cannery during fishing season. Growing up, Jeane was
Speaker 1: described as shy and quiet, but loved to play nurse
Speaker 1: with her siblings. Jean Virginia Sampar was reported missing by
Speaker 1: her mother when she didn't return home from the walk
Speaker 1: she had taken with her cousin the village in which
Speaker 1: the family reside helped the family initiate the search for Gene,
Speaker 1: and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police joined a few days later,
Speaker 1: bringing a search dog with them, and early snow hampered
Speaker 1: search efforts, but appearance were soon back to searching along
Speaker 1: with police. The official search lasted for eight days and
Speaker 1: was called off after the river and surrounding areas were searched.
Speaker 1: In Vain, it was reported that the police tried to
Speaker 1: declare her as deceased and close the case in nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty five, but after the family pushed back, her status
Speaker 1: was changed to missing. Oddly enough, after Jeane went missing,
Speaker 1: her boyfriend was found drowned in the same area of
Speaker 1: the river where she went missing. Several theories have been
Speaker 1: researched into the disappearance of Gene. Those included abduction, taking
Speaker 1: her own life, animal attack, runaway, foul play, a serial killer,
Speaker 1: or perhaps even friends or family, and all these theories
Speaker 1: none make any sense except for a possible abduction by
Speaker 1: either someone she knew or stranger. Jene is described as
Speaker 1: the First Nation's female with brown hair and brown eyes.
Speaker 1: If you or someone you know has any information regarding
Speaker 1: her disappearance, Please contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police New
Speaker 1: Hazelton Detachment that two five zero eight four to two
Speaker 1: five two four four. And now we'd like to present
Speaker 1: a few soft cases from the Highway of Tears. First up,
Speaker 1: we have Cynthia mos. On September tenth, twenty ten, thirty
Speaker 1: five year old Cynthia Moss disappeared from Prince George, British Columbia.
Speaker 1: Her body was found on October eighth, twenty ten, in
Speaker 1: Elsie Gun Park near the Highway of Tears. Moz was
Speaker 1: reported missing by family members when they hadn't heard from
Speaker 1: her in a few days. Her body was discovered by
Speaker 1: RCMP Corporal Kent McNeil. Her mains showed defensive wounds, her
Speaker 1: pants were rolled to her ankles, and she had been decapitated.
Speaker 1: On November twenty seventh, twenty ten, Cody Allen Legebokoff was
Speaker 1: arrested in connection to the murder of Cynthia Moss, as
Speaker 1: well as Lauren Don Leslie, Jill Stacy Snatchenko, and Natasha
Speaker 1: Lynn Montgomery. Legabukhoff is one of many zero killers confirmed
Speaker 1: to have used the Highway of tears as a hunting
Speaker 1: ground for vulnerable women. He's also considered one of Canada's
Speaker 1: youngest serial killers, being just nineteen years old when he
Speaker 1: killed his first victim. Next, we have Kareeen Thomas. On
Speaker 1: July third, nineteen seventy six, twenty one year old Kareen
Speaker 1: Thomas was hitchhiking home on Highway sixteen when she was
Speaker 1: struck and killed by a truck being driven by Richard Medikoff.
Speaker 1: What was first thought to be an accident was later
Speaker 1: revealed to be a homicide. Richard Riddeucopp saw Thomas on
Speaker 1: the side of the road and swerved to intentionally hit her.
Speaker 1: Thomas was pregnant and just days away from giving birth. Sadly,
Speaker 1: both the mother and child died at the scene. During
Speaker 1: court proceedings in Dakoff's trial, the coroner gave testimony that
Speaker 1: the fatal motor vehicle accident was just that an accident. However,
Speaker 1: witnesses on the scene stated they saw Rehdticp deliberately swerve
Speaker 1: to hit the First Nation's woman, But after three hours
Speaker 1: of unsupervised interrogations conducted by the police, it was determined
Speaker 1: that the witnesses had been coursed into giving a false
Speaker 1: statement exonerating Rehdikoff of any wrongdoing. They were made to
Speaker 1: say that Thomas was playing chicken with the truck. With
Speaker 1: both the statements from eye witnesses in the corner, it
Speaker 1: looked as though Rehtikopp would be found innocent. That was
Speaker 1: until evidence was uncovered about another quote accident unquote ten
Speaker 1: years prior to Kaareen Thomas being struck and killed of
Speaker 1: another vehicular fatality by Richard Redikopp, where he struck and
Speaker 1: killed a First Nation's man on the same road Thomas
Speaker 1: was killed on. Even though the new evidence pointed to
Speaker 1: Richard Redikopp killing Kareeen Thomas intentionally, the crown never proceeded
Speaker 1: with the charges to convict him. In June of nineteen
Speaker 1: seventy seven, Thomas's father sued Richard Redicoff for criminal negligence,
Speaker 1: but the charges were dropped because of insufficient evidence. Both
Speaker 1: the deaths of kree toom Mus and the unnamed mail
Speaker 1: that was struck and killed were deemed suspicious, but no
Speaker 1: further charges were ever pursued against Richard Redikov next married
Speaker 1: Jane Kovacs on October ten, nineteen eighty one. Thirty six
Speaker 1: year old Mary Jane Kovaks was last seen at the
Speaker 1: intersection of Old Cariboo Highway and Highway sixteen on October eleventh,
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one. Her body was discovered in a ditch
Speaker 1: filled with water by man gathering firewood. Kovacs had been
Speaker 1: shot in the head multiple times by twenty two caliber
Speaker 1: pistol and dumped at the site. She was the last
Speaker 1: victim of serial killer Edward Denis Isaac. Now we have
Speaker 1: Roswitha push Bickler. On November fourteen, nineteen eighty one, fourteen
Speaker 1: year old Roswea Pushbickler was supported missing by her father
Speaker 1: after making plans to meet up with a friend, but
Speaker 1: changing her mind at the last minute to attend a
Speaker 1: party later that night. Fushbickler made it to the party
Speaker 1: and after it ended, called a male friend to hang
Speaker 1: out at his apartment. Two young men offered her a ride,
Speaker 1: but she refused at first. When the two men asked
Speaker 1: a second time, she accepted the ride and had them
Speaker 1: drop her at her male friend's apartment. The two reported
Speaker 1: watching fush Bickler walking toward the door. This was the
Speaker 1: last time anyone saw her alive. Rosew's body was discovered
Speaker 1: on November twenty one, nineteen eighty one, by joggers in
Speaker 1: a wooded area in Prince George. Her clothing was discovered nearby.
Speaker 1: She had been strangled, but had died of a stabbed
Speaker 1: wound that penetrated her heart. Rose sweetha Fushpickler, was only
Speaker 1: fourteen years old at the time of her death and
Speaker 1: was the first victim of serial killer Edward Denis Isaac. Next,
Speaker 1: Nina Marie Joseph. On August sixteenth, nineteen eighty two, fifteen
Speaker 1: year old Nina Marie Joseph was found strangled to death
Speaker 1: by a cord from her own jacket. She had also
Speaker 1: been stabbed. It was determined that Nina Marie was the
Speaker 1: second victim of serial killer Edward Denis Isaac. This potentially
Speaker 1: would have gone unsolved, but Isaac had his ex girlfriend
Speaker 1: help him dispose of the body. The ex girlfriend would
Speaker 1: later testify to this, leading to Isaac being convicted of
Speaker 1: manslaughter and subsequently sent us to life in prison without
Speaker 1: parole for thirteen years. Next, we have the case of
Speaker 1: Monica Jack. On May sixth, nineteen seventy eight, twelve year
Speaker 1: old Monica Jack was reported missing after she didn't return
Speaker 1: home from riding her bike around in Nicolo Ranch area
Speaker 1: of British Columbia. Her case is a confirmed epanic case
Speaker 1: and she is the youngest known victim on the Highway
Speaker 1: of Tears. Her mother remembers her daughter's sweet laugh and
Speaker 1: warm smile. Everyone from teachers to acquaintances, loved her friendly
Speaker 1: and sweet nature. A year after she went missing, her
Speaker 1: bike was found, which prompted a new search for the preteen. However,
Speaker 1: her body wouldn't be discovered until June second, nineteen ninety five,
Speaker 1: a full seventeen years after she went missing. In twenty fourteen,
Speaker 1: Gary Taylor Handlin was arrested in charge with Monica Jack's
Speaker 1: murder during an undercover operation by the RCMP. Handlin unknowingly
Speaker 1: confess us the murder to an investigator. In his confession,
Speaker 1: Handlan stated he grabbed Jack from a highway pull out,
Speaker 1: threw her bike in Nicola Lake, shoved her into the
Speaker 1: bathroom of his camper, where he assaulted, struggled, and disposed
Speaker 1: of her clothes and body by trying to burn them.
Speaker 1: He succeeded in burning her clothing, but was only partially
Speaker 1: able to burn the body. Handlan's defense was that quote
Speaker 1: he felt his dreams in a close knit organized crime
Speaker 1: group could be snatched away unquote. His defense attorney argued
Speaker 1: that his client could have got the crime information from
Speaker 1: a documentary and simply paired it the information as he
Speaker 1: could have heard or read about it. On the witness stand.
Speaker 1: Jack's mother recounted that the last time she saw her
Speaker 1: daughter was the day she went missing. She was riding
Speaker 1: her new bike between merrit and her home when her
Speaker 1: mother passed her after a trip to the local grocery store.
Speaker 1: I honked, the mother further stated, through a tearful testimony,
Speaker 1: and I do believe one of the kids yelled out,
Speaker 1: do you want to ride? But she said no and
Speaker 1: just kept on going. In another part of her testimony,
Speaker 1: Jack's mother recalled searching the mountains for her daughter for weeks.
Speaker 1: Handlin was found guilty of first degree murder, which carries
Speaker 1: a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after
Speaker 1: twenty five years. What the jury didn't hear was that
Speaker 1: Gary Taylor Hanlon was also being charged with the death
Speaker 1: of eleven year old girl who disappeared under early similar circumstances.
Speaker 1: Eleven year old Katherine Mary Herbert was walking near her
Speaker 1: home in Mattsquee in September of nineteen seventy five when
Speaker 1: she was allegedly abducted, assaulted, and murdered by Handlin. Her
Speaker 1: body was found under piece of plywood months later. Also
Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty nine, Handlan used a knife to threaten
Speaker 1: a seventeen year old girl and then assaulted her, and
Speaker 1: again in nineteen seventy one, he again used a knife
Speaker 1: to abduct and assault another victim that was eighteen years old.
Speaker 1: In September of nineteen seventy eight, he abducted and assaulted
Speaker 1: a twenty one year old female from near Manning Park.
Speaker 1: He sat silently as his earliest victim addressed the court
Speaker 1: as to why if someone was such a violent and
Speaker 1: criminal history was out on bail to commit more crimes.
Speaker 1: He was on probation from a bodily assault when he
Speaker 1: abducted and killed Monica Jack. It was felt that this
Speaker 1: was a senseless and preventable crime. Handling's criminal history also
Speaker 1: shows flight from a police officer, three counts of unlawful
Speaker 1: possession of narcotics, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Well, folks,
Speaker 1: there you have it. The sad, strange tale of the
Speaker 1: aptly named Highway of Tears. I look forward to your comments,
Speaker 1: but please keep it friendly and respectful till we meet again.
Speaker 1: Be good to yourselves and each other. Be safe out there,
Speaker 1: please don't hitch hike. As for me, I'll see you
Speaker 1: a little further on down the trail. I'm Steve Stockton,
Speaker 1: and i'll talk to you next time. Give your animals
Speaker 1: a hug and tell them I said hi.