No Flood of Tips in Wake of 48 Hours
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 @ 3:52 AM
Prince George, B. C. – The weekend episode of the CBS program “48 Hours” has generated a few calls to the EPana investigation hotline.
Although billed as a one hour program about the Highway of Tears and the investigation into the deaths and disappearances of young women along Highway 16, the one hour program dedicated much of its focus to the disappearance of Madison Scott, the murder of Loren Leslie, and the death of Fribjon Bjornson. None of the 3 cases featured is considered a Highway of Tears case, nor has any one of the three been made part of the E-Pana investigation which encompasses the Highway of Tears cases. A young man has been charged in connection with Loren Leslie’s death, ( and that of three other women) but that case has yet to go to trial.
Since the program aired on Saturday, “We have received a few calls” says Staff Sergeant Wayne Clary, who has been working on the E-Pana investigation, but adds he is not aware of any tips being called in on the featured cases.
As for the Highway of Tears, the 300 or so tips they have received, came in the wake of the news conference held in late September. That was when police announced that deceased American inmate, Bobby Jack Fowler had been positively identified as the person responsible for the death of Colleen McMillen, a young woman who was murdered in 1974 near Lac La Hache. Fowler is also a “strong suspect” in the deaths of Gale Weys in Clearwater in 1973 and Pamela Darlington in Kamloops in 1973. All evidence from those two cases is gone and Staff Clary says investigators are relying on people’s memories “We are hoping that someone can come forward and tell us something,” That “something” might be what police need to confirm that Fowler was in the area when Gale Weys and Pamela Darlington died.
While all three of those cases are under the E-Pana umbrella, again, none involved a death or disappearance along highway 16.
Investigators have been trying to track Fowler’s whereabouts from the late 60’s to his arrest in Oregon in mid 1995. Fowler died in prison in 2006. He remains a possible suspect in the 1995 death of Ramona Wilson and the 1994 deaths of Liah Germaine and Roxanne Thiara. Staff Sergeant Clary says there is also a strong possibility Fowler was responsible for several murders in the United States.
Investigators know Fowler was a transient worker, and had worked for a roofing company in Prince George in the 70’s, and while the company had contracts throughout the region, it is not known for certain if Fowler travelled with the company as company records were lost years ago in a flood.
E-Pana continues to search for answers says Staff Clary “We are churning through all kinds of information. We have some ideas on a couple of cases, we believe that in one case the killer is dead, and we are still working on others.”
The tip line (1-877-543-4822) remains open, ready to hear that “something” that will assist investigators.
Comments
I was disappointed when I watched the show because of the obvious sensationalism it portrayed. It did very little to bring to light any of the hiway of tears cases but focused on cases that have no bearing on the investigation. The BS press conference that was held to try to convince the public thier was a huge break in the hiway of tears cases was a sham. Not one of the cases linked to the murderer were even close to hiway 16 and just because the murderer had a slim connection to PG the RCMP used that to try to show the public how successful they were being. It should have been called the madison scott case instead of the hiway of tears. Typical US network using other peoples grief to sell thier hollywood schlock.
I was surprised to learn of the connection in the disappearance of Madison and the discovery of the missing Ft St James fellows head, why was it never released they were dating, kind of weird that she disappears, he gets killed, and they’re dating but the police see no connection, pretty long shot on coincidence, but maybe i guess
The Scott family stated that there is no connection between the 2 cases.
How did they make that determination? If true, this is the first that I’ve heard this information.
The Scott family statement at http://www.madison scott.ca
I doubt anyone could know the whole story unless they were a part of it.
I was at the party referred to, and I too believe it was someone who was at the party. After I left, there were two shady characters left who were brothers, and one claimed he was staying the night. They MAY have something to do with her dissapearance.(?) The police seem to think not…. Polygraph tests are not conclusive. But who knows right??? Also, fribjon was murdered a year afterward and they were not dating. There was no connection between these cases. They were aquantences. Many people are angry about the portrayal of fribjon.
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