The murder rate rose in all but one province in Canada during 2015 – the latest year complete data is available. The number rose to 1.68 per 100,000 people, despite a decline for the past 40 years, according to Statistics Canada. In total, 604 people were murdered in 2015.
Whether this jump is a blip in the statistics can’t be determined for a couple more years.
A few cases hit home in Squamish, especially the murders that haven’t been solved yet.
In the Squamish, Lions Bay and Furry Creek areas, there are still 12 unsolved murders from 1971 to 2005 (see front page article). After 2005, IHIT took over the investigations.
The victims range from 20 to 73 years old, and each likely has family and friends who are still hurting and wondering what happened to their loved one.
Six were young people in their 20s – police say some were living high-risk lifestyles, suffering from addiction or in the drug trade. Another victim was tragically stabbed at a party near a local lake, while the murder of a young mom, whose body was found in Lions Bay, has also never been solved.
Other victims are a dump truck driver and a retired schoolteacher who was found dead in her home.
More recently, a man’s body was found in a burned SUV on the Cheekye Forest Service Road just north of Squamish in June. IHIT determined he was murdered and hasn’t released his name or that of any suspects yet.
The website Unsolved Murders-Missing People Canada is a place where friends and family can try to find answers by posting questions and looking for tips on the forum. The name Jodi Hendrickson, a teenager from Squamish who went missing after attending a house party on Bowen Island in 2009, comes up a lot. Police suspect she was murdered and her disappearance has never been solved.
It doesn’t matter if the crime happened in 2017 or 50-plus years ago, the Squamish RCMP says they’re determined to solve the cases they handle – for friends and family, and also the victims themselves.
Someone out there knows something about each of these cases. If this is you, don’t let these murders go unsolved forever – call the Squamish Homicide Information Line at 604-892-6122 or, to be anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or text the BCTIP line at 274637.
