Highway of Tears: Part 1

Tea Time Crimes

In Canada, there is a stretch of highway between the cities of Prince Rupert and Prince George that covers 725 km (or 450 miles). For over 50 years, this dark, isolated road has swallowed up women and girls in the night from 1969 to present. Because of the despair that has happened along this corridor, it is now known as the Highway of Tears. In this three-part series, we will be exploring this area and the devastating stories found alongside it.

If you have any information for any of these cases, please call the E-PANA Tip Line at 1.877.543.4822.

Content Warning: Sexual assault

Tea of the Day: Black Pu Erh

Theme Music by Brad Frank

Sources:

• Directed by Matthew Smiley, “Highway Of Tears: The Unsolved Serial Murders Of Aboriginal Women.” Produced by Carly Pope, Narrated by Nathan Fillion, Released March 6th, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3wWjcIc_1M
• Directed by Tim Wolochatiuk, “We Were Children.” Produced by Kyle Irving, Starring Rene Batson, Taya Ayotte Bourns, Alice Dano, Release by Eagle Vision Inc. 2013. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07FQ3GZKX/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
• McDiarmid, Jessica, “Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.” Narrated By Emily Nixon, Simon and Schuster, November 12th, 2019.
• “The Highway of Tears: The Road Where Women Disappear” by Bipin Dimri October 4, 2022 https://www.historicmysteries.com/highway-of-tears/
• “Highway of Tears,” 48 Hours, Season 25, Episode 7 with Peter Van Sant, November 17th, 2012.
• Native Womens Wilderness - https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw
• Sabo, Don, “Highway of Tears,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, June 6th, 2016, Updated January 18th, 2019 https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/highway-of-tears
• “Finding Closure, Fifty Years after a Murder,” by Angela Sterritt, The Walrus, July 10th, 2023 https://thewalrus.ca/finding-closure-fifty-years-after-a-murder/
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Last Updated December 13th, 2016 https://bc-cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=23&languageId=1&contentId=27048
• “Woman Beaten to Death,” The Vancouver Sun - 28 Oct 1969, Tue ·Page 5 https://www.newspapers.com/image/492346711/
• “The Murder of Gloria Moody.” Hue and Cry https://thehueandcry.com/gloria-moody
• “The Murder of Micheline Pare.” Hue and Cry https://thehueandcry.com/micheline-pare
• “The Murder of Gale Weys.” Hue and Cry https://thehueandcry.com/gale-weys
• “The Murder of Monica Ignas” Hue and Cry https://thehueandcry.com/monica-ignas
• Mindus, Angie, “Unlikely Source Solves Crime.” The Tribune, Williams Lake, British Columbia - Dec 24, 1998, Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/326581567/
• “The Disappearance of Jean Virginia Sampare,” Hue and Cry https://thehueandcry.com/jean-virginia-sampare
• “Missing Girl Hunt Called Off.” The Vancouver Sun - 29 Oct 1971, Fri ·Page 16 https://www.newspapers.com/image/492502315/
• “Girl Missing.” Nanaimo Daily News - 23 Oct 1971, Sat ·Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/324579559/
• “Search Continues.” Times Colonist - 27 Oct 1971, Wed ·Page 60
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/506235160/
• Culbert, Lori, “Virginia Sampare: Siblings hope to put missing sister to rest one day.” Vancouver Sun - Published Dec 12, 2009 • Last updated May 19, 2017 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/virginia-sampare-siblings-hope-to-put-missing-sister-to-rest-one-day
• Laurent, Rene, “Girl who loved west slain in wilderness.” The Gazette, (Montreal) 11 Aug 1970, Tue ·Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/420965812/
• “Local girl may have been shot.” The Montreal Star, 12 Aug 1970, Wed ·Page 5 https://www.newspapers.com/image/739650028/
• Mr. Davis, “The Disappearance of Helen Claire Frost.” Criminal https://vocal.media/criminal/the-disappearance-of-helen-claire-frost
• Andrew Kurjata and Audrey McKinnon, “B.C. woman’s search for birth mother turns up missing person’s case.” CBC News, Jan 23, 2018 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/prince-george-missing-birth-mother-1.4500839
• Culber, Lori, “Still Missing, and missed, after 40 years.” Vancouver Sun, Dec 14, 2009, Updated Jun 2, 2014 https://vancouversun.com/news/still-missing-and-missed-after-40-years
• “Family looking for clues.” Lake District News, 04 Nov 1998, Wed ·Page 15 https://www.newspapers.com/image/325332653/
• “Search.” Quesnel Cariboo Observer, 27 Dec 1973, Thu ·Page A2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/687079097/
• “Nude Body Discovered.” The Vancouver Sun - 08 Apr 1974, Mon ·Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/492795981/
• “Police attempt to link killings.” The Vancouver Sun 21 Nov 1973, Wed ·Page 14 https://www.newspapers.com/image/492796414/
• “B.C. cold case breakthrough stirs memories.” CBC News, Sept 26, 2012, Updated Sept 27, 2012 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-cold-case-breakthrough-stirs-memories-1.1166770
• LaRosa, Paul, “48 Hours: Highway of Tears murder solved with improbable DNA sample.” CBS News, Nov 16, 2012 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-highway-of-tears-murder-solved-with-improbable-dna-sample/
• “Cariboo girl feared victim of sex killer.” The Province, (Vancouver) 04 Sep 1974, Wed ·Page 31 https://www.newspapers.com/image/500663578/
• The Vancouver Sun, 06 Sep 1974, Fri ·Page 13 https://www.newspapers.com/image/493279931/
• Statesman Journal, (Salem, Oregon) 30 Jun 1995, Fri ·Page 10 https://www.newspapers.com/image/202424516/
• “Bobby Jack Fowler Highway of Tears investigation stalled.” CBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2013 9:57 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 25, 2013 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bobby-jack-fowler-highway-of-tears-investigation-stalled-1.1867647
• “2 names added to Highway of Tears missing as report released.” CBC News · Posted: Jun 22, 2006 12:14 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 22, 2006 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2-names-added-to-highway-of-tears-missing-as-report-released-1.595288
• The Province - 10 Apr 1975, Thu ·Page 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/501320060/
• The Interior News - 16 Apr 1975, Wed ·Page https://www.newspapers.com/image/508724784/
• Lori Culbert and Neal Hall, “These are the stories of the victims.” Vancouver Sun, Published Dec 11, 2009 • Last updated Jul 13, 2010 https://vancouversun.com/news/these-are-the-stories-of-the-victims
• Bermingham, John, “Remains Found After 18 Years.” The Province, 14 Feb 1996, Wed Page 8 https://www.newspapers.com/image/503319422/
• Kines, Lindsey, “His Daughter Will Forever Be 12.” Edmonton Journal, 18 Feb 1996, Sun Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/473027509/
• Foulds, Christopher, “After 25 years, who killed Katheryn, Theresa?” The Abbotsford News, 14 Dec 2000, Thu ·Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/536711977/
• Keith Fraser, “Man accused of murdering B.C. girl in 1978 says he 'lost it' when he attacked her.” Published Oct 24, 2018, Last updated Oct 31, 2018 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/man-accused-of-murdering-b-c-girl-in-1978-says-he-lost-it-when-he-attacked-her
• Akshay Kulkarni, “B.C. court dismisses appeal of man convicted of 1978 murder of 12-year-old Monica Jack.” CBC News · Posted: Sep 10, 2022 7:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 10, 2022 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/garry-handlen-appeal-dismissed-1.6579020
• Culbert, Lori, “She headed home but she never arrived.” The Vancouver Sun - 16 Dec 2009, Wed ·Page 12 https://www.newspapers.com/image/497615919/
• https://www.merrittherald.com/tag/monica-jack/
  • “Arrest made in 1978 murder of Merritt girl” by Merritt Herald | Dec 4, 2014
  • “Family of Monica Jack seeks community support.” Posted by Merritt Herald | Feb 5, 2015
• Keith Fraser, “Garry Handlen convicted in Monica Jack killing: What the jury didn't hear.” Vancouver Sun, Published Jan 18, 2019 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/garry-taylor-handlen-found-guilty-in-murder-of-12-year-old-monica-jack/wcm/8a6a4be3-1577-4455-854f-cd6bfd0f544f
• https://globalnews.ca/video/4824497/monica-jacks-mother-speaks-out-about-daughter-and-trial-process