Brenda Wilson, Jack Hoar, Inspector  Gary Shinkaruk and Mary Teegee meet with  media – photo 250NEWS

Prince George, B.C. – Today, the families of women who have been murdered or gone missing along Highway 16, huddled with   investigators for an update on what has been named the EPana investigation.

This time, there is new hope, as it was just   a little over 3 weeks   ago that RCMP announced they had linked   Bobby Jack Fowler, a man who had died in an Oregon prison, with the murder of one of the murdered women, and named him as the prime suspect in two other killings.  He has also not been eliminated  as a possible suspect in a number of others. 

“I think that whenever there is new information or new technology, we’re going to be utilizing to solve some of the crimes that have been committed,  is good news” says Mary Teegee of Carrier Sekani family Services.   She, along with 20 relatives of murdered or missing women, EPana investigators, North District RCMP, Major Crimes, Victims Services, Social Services are meeting to share the latest information about the various cases.

Mary Teegee says mood in the room is bitter sweet “We’re together, the families are together and have the support of each other, but I think that at the end of the day, when we’re looking at the information that’s coming from the investigations it looks like there is progress. This is the 9^th meeting that the families have met and it didn’t seem like there was much progress, so now, it is exciting because we know there is that new technology out there that there are more tips coming in, so I think there is a bit more optimism in the room.” 

EPana Investigator, Inspector Gary Shinkaruk, says 300 new tips have been generated in the wake of the announcement that Bobby Jack Fowler was responsible for the death of 16 year old Colleen MacMillen in 1974, but today, says Shinkaruk, is all about the families. He says the session held at the Coast Inn this afternoon is about remembering the victims and offering support to the families “Although we tried to understand the ptrue pain and despair that they must feel every day, it’s beneficial for us to meet with them and it provides a lot of inspiration to the investigators and it provides support to the families. Further to that, we attempt to provide the families with an update on the investigation so they know what is going on with their loved ones. For some of these families it has been decades, waiting by the phone daily, and that’s not lost on us.” 

It has been 18 years since Brenda Wilson last saw her sister Ramona alive. Ramona was just 16 when last seen alive in Smithers.   Her body would be discovered the following April in a wooded area near the Smithers Airport. 

Brenda says she is quite pleased with the outcome of the meeting so far “It has brought some hope to our family and just to know that the RCMP and other resources have been collaborating to find some answers.” She says it is also comforting to know her family is “not doing this alone.” She says knowing there are organizations collaborating on the cases is much appreciated, because now she knows the case is not being left to just sit on a shelf. “I know for a fact a lot of these cases are being worked on, on a daily basis and I can actually smile about it because 18 years ago, myself and my mom were by ourselves and that’s how it felt.” She says she is not feeling closer to closure, but she says she has understanding that “there is hope and we will start to find answers .” 

Jack Hoar is the father of   Nicole Hoar who was last seen June 21, 2002, hitchhiking on Highway 16 west at Gauthier Road in  Prince George. Her disappearance is not considered to be linked to Bobby Jack Fowler as he was in jail at the time. So Jack Hoar is calling on people in the community to come forward with anything they can recall, not just about his daughter’s disappearance, but that of any of the missing and murdered women.  

“There is a very real need to get more communication and I think one of the things that is very real is that in all these cases, there may be somebody that’s afraid something will happen to them if they talk about it, I think time’s change over the years, and I think now they might feel more comfortable coming forward and letting police, or someone in the community know what happened. “  

Hoar says   anyone with information on any of the cases, can call police, or CrimeStoppers or the EPana tip line at 1-877-543-4822.