By Jill Sperling

New BC Coroners Service tool generating tips for unsolved cases

Apr 2, 2019 | 4:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Coroners Service says traffic to their website has increased significantly since launching its Unidentified Human Remains Viewer Map Tool last week. 

The map was released in the hopes of producing new leads in these unsolved cases. 

The map lists nearly 200 unidentified human remains across the province, where they were found, and identifying characteristics. 

According to Andy Watson, spokesperson for the BC Coroners Service, the map has drawn a great deal of interest. 

“I can tell you that the traffic and the activity we’ve had on the website has gone up over 50 times the amount that we saw before the full launch last week,” Watson says. “I know that’s led to some tips that have come in. It would be premature to speculate on whether or not that’s going to create any conclusion for us for some of the open investigations, but certainly it’s created a discussion.” 

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On the map, eight sets of unidentified remains have been located in the Kamloops area, including the body of a young woman found in 1996 south of Greenstone Mountain. 

In her case, a sketch is included of what she may have looked like. 

Two seperate sets of unidentified remains were found near Cooney Bay at Kamloops Lake on seperate occasions. 

Watson says he believes the map is the first of its kind in Canada. 

“We’ve looked at it to try and make it in a format that’s easy for anyone to use. It would be a lovely side-effect if we were able to have this create an impetus or be a catalyst for a national tool.”

The map can be viewed here.