Various news services - February 23 2024 - On Friday morning, the police chief of Edmonton, along with Indigenous leaders and an elder, extended their condolences to the families of two Indigenous women who were buried anonymously in Edmonton cemeteries almost fifty years ago.
The women have been identified through DNA testing as Louise Laderoute, aged 24, and Irene Jacknife, aged 30.
In 1975, Laderoute, a member of Papaschase First Nation, was declared missing from Edmonton before her passing. Jacknife, who went missing from Drayton Valley, Alta., passed away a year later.
This recent naming is a poignant development in the ongoing tale of sorrow and suffering. "It's not an easy task, nor should it diminish the pain of the loved ones who have suffered, or the decades of searching they have endured," stated police Chief Dale McFee during a news conference on Friday morning.
"I hope that your loved ones could have been identified and returned sooner."
Chief Dale McFee of the Edmonton Police Service
According to Chief Dale McFee of the Edmonton Police Service, investigations into unresolved cases will be ongoing. Photo credit: Peter Evans/CBC
Two women have been identified as part of Project Match, a collaborative initiative involving the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The project aims to review past unidentified human remains cases.
The EPS missing persons unit is currently dealing with 14 unsolved unidentified human remains cases that date back to 1979.
According to a statement by Det. Kevin Harrison from the EPS historical crimes unit, unsolved cases can leave families grieving and traumatized for years. As part of Project Match, organizations are reviewing these files with the help of modern technology and investigative methods in an attempt to solve them.
Grand Chief Arthur Noskey of Treaty 8 First Nations expressed that it is not closure. "When our loved ones pass away, we often find ourselves questioning the reasons and individuals involved.
Preserving the past may be beyond our reach, but safeguarding the future is within our power."
