Family of missing Cree woman pleads for information after Edmonton disappearance
Merasty, a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation who is from La Ronge, Sask., was last seen in Edmonton on May 5. With no confirmed sightings since, Edmonton Police Service is now leading the investigation into the suspicious disappearance.
Merasty's aunt and godmother, Marcela Merasty, said Friday that it isn't normal for her niece to be out of touch with family members for so long.
"By this time, she'd be calling home for family. Anything that was ever wrong with her, she came to us for support," she said.
"The people who have any answers, come forward. Let it out of your heart. Let us family have closure in this."
EPS Det. Lisa Riou said police believe Merasty came to Edmonton with friends or acquaintances. She said police have spoken with people who had contact with Merasty in the city, and there a number of "people of interest."
While Merasty hasn't been seen since she was in Edmonton, police have traced the path of her vehicle in the days that followed.
She appears on surveillance footage from the Continental Inn in west Edmonton, and then a nearby 7-Eleven, in the early morning hours of May 5.
After that, police say her car passed through Edmonton and Sherwood Park, east of the city, before travelling southwest. It passed through the areas of Buck Lake, Nordegg and Lake Louise in Alberta, before crossing into B.C.
On May 7, the vehicle was on a ferry to Nanaimo, B.C. Three days later, it was back in the Edmonton area, before travelling west, where it was seen west of Lloydminster, on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
On May 15 — 10 days after Merasty was last seen — her vehicle was found abandoned, repainted from black to silver, in James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.
Riou said there aren't any confirmed images of Merasty during the journey into the other provinces — only the car that belonged to her.
Because Edmonton is the last place she was seen, EPS is leading the investigation and working with RCMP. Investigators are still looking into whether Merasty had connections to the places her car was spotted.
Riou said police are seeking tips from all three provinces involved in the investigation.
"Hopefully as we seek and gain more public information, continue to work with the family, we'll put together a better, broader picture with more details."
Merasty's uncle Victor Michel said the family has a lot of hope that she's still alive.
"We are hurt as a family, obviously ... We are seeking our girl. We want her home."
Merasty often goes by Sikwan with her family members, aunt Noreen Merasty said. If anyone sees her, she said it might help to connect with her by speaking the family's Cree language.
"Just tell her in Cree, like, 'It's OK. You don't need to be scared, you don't need to hide,'" she said.
"We all love you," she said, then switching to Cree to tell her niece, "Come home now."
Police say anyone who may have information about where Merasty is should contact EPS or report tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police continuing to investigate after woman, 23, fatally shot in southwest Calgary parkade
The Calgary Police Service is looking for more information from the public as they continue to investigate a fatal shooting in the southwest neighbourhood of Haysboro. The victim, identified as Madisson Cobb, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene after she was shot in a parking garage at the 8700 block of Horton Road S.W. around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police believe the shooting was targeted. Police said that Cobb had just finished work and was walking to her vehicle when the incident occurred. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. In a press conference Sunday, Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the CPS homicide unit described the incident as a 'very cowardly act,' and said investigators are pursuing all possible leads. 'This is tragic. It's horrible, and it's actually maddening that somebody can't walk to their vehicle safely in the city,' he said. Police have released surveillance footage of a white Toyota RAV4 with stolen British Columbia license plate PP322J that was seen leaving the scene. Investigators believe the suspect vehicle was parked on the fourth level of the parkade, while the shooting happened on a publicly accessible level near the victim's vehicle, which is connected to The Shops at Heritage shopping plaza. The victim is not believed to be a resident in the connected apartment complex. Police were unable to confirm whether there was any prior relationship between Cobb and the suspect, but said they are looking into past interactions. 'We're aware of past history,' Sgt. Gregson said. 'I'm going to leave it at that for now, but we're looking at all avenues that could lead to yesterday's events.' Residents of the apartment complex said they weren't aware a shooting had occurred but had suspected something serious due to the large police presence Saturday night. 'I feel unsafe,' said resident Alex Hui. 'I think the security could be better as well.' Investigators are asking anyone who interacted with Cobb in the days leading up to the shooting, or who has information about the incident, to come forward. Police are also seeking dashcam footage from the area of Horton Road S.W. at Heritage Drive S.W., heading westbound towards 14th Street S.W. between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Anyone with more information is encouraged to contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or by submitting an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Brother of NFL hero Pat Tillman taken into custody after dramatic fiery crash into California post office
The brother of late NFL legend and U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman was involved in an early Sunday morning car crash that caused a post office to catch on fire. San Jose Police are investigating a crash that occurred around 3 a.m. local time at the post office in question, per NBC Bay Area, and Richard Tillman was the main suspect as he was taken into custody in relation to the fire. When police arrived, they found a vehicle drove into the post office and caught on fire, which also caused the building to flame up. Richard Tillman also told officers that he was Pat Tillman's brother at the scene, according to the outlet. He said he was live streaming the situation on social media as well. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office jail records confirm Richard Tillman was booked on Sunday, though no charges have been made publicly known. He also does not have a bail amount with a court appearance scheduled for July 23. San Jose Police is working with San Jose Fire Department arson investigators, as well as the US Postal Inspectors, to determine who will lead the investigation into how the fire occurred in the building. Pat Tillman was an NFL star for the Arizona Cardinals who famously left his career in football to enlist in the United States Army in May 2002. The decision came after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Tillman served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army Ranger, making several combat tours before being killed in the Afghanistan mountains. While it was initially reported that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, the Pentagon told his family that he was killed by friendly fire. In 2007, the Pentagon ruled that Tillman's death was accidental. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Canadian girl, 9, found dead in New York after father claimed she was kidnapped
A 9-year-old Canadian girl who was previously the subject of an Amber Alert after her father said she was kidnapped was found dead in New York on Sunday, New York State Police confirmed. The girl, Melina Frattolin, was reported missing by her father, Luciano Frattolin, near Exit 22 on I-87 around 9:58 p.m. on July 19. Initial claims of a possible abduction prompted a regional Amber Alert and a wide-scale search involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Authorities later identified "inconsistencies in the father's account of events and the timeline he provided" and the child was tragically found dead in Ticonderoga, about 35 miles away. "At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public," state police said in a statement. It's unclear how Frattolin died. A media briefing is scheduled for Monday, July 21.