Woman found dead last August remains unidentified, Winnipeg police say
Police said Thursday that they issued a similar public appeal in September of last year, but still haven't had any success.
The initial investigation determined there was nothing criminal about the woman's death, but police — who are working alongside cultural advocacy organization Giganawenimaanaanig — are still hoping to return the mystery woman's remains to her family.
'This is not a criminal investigation,' said Sgt. Ashley Hartle of Winnipeg Police Service. 'Rather we're assisting the chief medical examiner's office in partnership with community hoping that together we can connect this woman to her loved ones.'
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
She has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe — or 'Buffalo Woman' — by the family of Ashlee Shingoose, the victim of a Winnipeg serial killer. Shingoose was also referred to as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe until her remains were identified this past March.
Story continues below advertisement
The woman is described as between the ages of 25-40, around five-feet-seven-inches in height with a slender build, and with shoulder-length dark hair and brown eyes.
Police said she also had a number of identifying features, including two tattoos: the letters 'SN' on her right wrist and 'SS' on the back of her right hand. She also had no remaining upper teeth at the time of her death and a metal plate with screws attached to her clavicle.
She was last seen wearing black pants with a bright yellow stripe, black running shoes, and a grey hoodie with the word 'Bench' on it. She was also carrying a blue/grey Roots-branded suitcase and a tan purse.
If you have any information that could help identify her, you can contact Winnipeg police at 204-986-6250 or WPS-missingpersons@winnipeg.ca
0:25
Winnipeg police look to identify mystery woman found dead Aug. 10
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
These 5 Ontario school boards recorded the most violent incidents. Will police help?
The number of violent incidents reported in Ontario's schools grew last year to a point that critics call a 'crisis,' with a third of all recorded violence concentrated in just five school boards. New data, obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws, shows the number of violent incidents in Ontario classrooms has shot up by almost 80 per cent over the past seven years. In 2023-24, the most recent year available, a total of 4,424 incidents were reported, and 1,497 of those were reported in just five boards. An analysis of the data by Global News show four of the boards with the most violent incidents reported were in or near Toronto, with the fifth located in Ottawa. The school board with the highest number of violent incidents in the province was the Peel District School Board. Story continues below advertisement Last year, Peel recorded 431 violent incidents, a drop from the 717 it recorded the year before. At the beginning of the pandemic, in the 2019-20 year, the Peel District School Board recorded an even higher rate of violence, with 976 incidents. The Toronto District School Board, which is the largest board in the entire country, reported the second-highest number of violent incidents in 2023-24, with 410. That held relatively steady from the year before, when it reported 407. There were 237,679 students enrolled at the Toronto District School Board in 2023-24, according to ministry data. The Peel District School Board had 148,917 students. Dividing the number of violent incidents by student population gives Toronto a rate of 1.7 violent incidents per 1,000 students. Peel is substantially higher at 4.8 per 1,000. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Third and fifth place were occupied by the two Halton Region school boards. The Halton District School Board reported 237 violent incidents last year, while the Halton Catholic board reported 206. While Toronto and Peel are the largest boards in the province, both Halton boards have substantially smaller student populations. The Halton District board is the ninth largest in Ontario, with 67,186 students. The Catholic board is 18th with a student population of just 36,110. At Halton District, the rate of violent incidents is 3.5 per 1,000 students, compared to 5.7 in the Catholic board. Story continues below advertisement The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board had the fourth most violent incidents last year, with 213. It has 77,325 students, the seventh most in the province, and a rate of 2.8 incidents per 1,000 students. Province offers policing solution A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education acknowledged the growing violence — but suggested the return of police officers to classrooms could be part of the solution. Story continues below advertisement 'The rise in school violence also coincides with the shortsighted decision of many school boards across the province, starting in 2017, to end School Resource Officer programs in schools,' they wrote in a statement. 'This is why our government has introduced measures that will require school boards to work with police services to develop School Resource Officer.' Opposition politicians, however, fear police could make the situation worse — and mask the need for more funding. 'Police are not the answer to the violence crisis,' NDP MPP Chandra Pasma said. 'They're not trained mental health professionals; they do not have training in special education, in re-regulating dysregulated children. They can't provide academic support to a kid who is going unnoticed in a class of 34. So, there's really no role for them to play in helping to prevent the violence occurring in the first place.' Joe Tigani, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Union, said the mention of policing was a distraction. 'Throwing more police into schools won't fix this,' he said in a statement. '(Recent legislation) is nothing more than a smoke-and-mirrors distraction. It centralizes control and brings back policies that have already been proven to harm marginalized students. What students need are more education workers in classes to create the conditions that will prevent violent incidents from happening'
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Man accused of killing, dismembering 2 people in Huntsville, Ont.
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Police north of Toronto have arrested a man after they say two people were killed and dismembered. Barrie police say they began an investigation earlier this year after a report of a missing person. They say officers searched several locations including a property in Huntsville, Ont., a residence in North Simcoe County and a wooded area in Barrie where a large homeless encampment is located. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A suspect who was initially arrested in early August is facing new charges after police gathered evidence that included human remains and interviewed witnesses relating to the two deaths. The victims have been identified as 45-year-old William (Blake) Robinson and 41-year-old David Cheesequay. A 52-year-old man has been charged with a list of offences including first- and second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a dead body. Story continues below advertisement The suspect is also accused of firearms and drug trafficking offences along with theft. He remains in custody and has a bail hearing scheduled for Friday.
Global News
11 hours ago
- Global News
Report highlights Indigenous discrimination following incident at B.C. Canadian Tire
A new study out of York University is highlighting concerns about Indigenous racial profiling. The study is called 'Indigenous Consumer Racial Profiling in Canada: A Neglected Human Rights Issue.' Its co-author says discrimination in retail environments is commonplace. Dr. Les Jacobs told Global News it's 'a daily, everyday experience, that they are in consumer interactions, whether they're shopping, whether they're going into a bank.' Jacobs noted an incident in 2020 at a Canadian Tire in Coquitlam. Richard Wilson and his daughter Dawn were buying tires and getting an oil change. They did some shopping, then, at the till, Wilson says a security guard asked to look through his bag. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Wilson said, 'I feel racially profiled (while) I've been followed around in the store. It really bothers me, I just try not to let it bother me but it does.' Story continues below advertisement 2:08 Canadian Medical Associations apologizes for harms to Indigenous people Dawn Wilson says the profiling continued when she complained to an employee. 'He looked at me and he said 'My dad taught me the difference between an Indian and a native.' And I said 'Yeah, what's that?' And he said an Indian comes from the reserve and begs and steals and demands money.' Canadian Tire did not respond to our request for comment about the alleged incident. Dr. Les Jacobs commented, 'There's a real opportunity here for a major Canadian retailer like Canadian Tire to work with researchers to really understand the extent of the problem.' York University's study has numerous recommendations, which include promoting restorative justice and education. The incident at Canadian Tire will be heard by the BC Human Rights Tribunal in October.
