April Cornish says she’s still reeling from the news that her sister’s remains were identified on Tuesday.
The family had been searching for Darylyn Supernant since she went missing in March 2023 in Dawson Creek, B.C.
The RCMP say DNA from the remains found on April 19 were compared with Supernant’s parents, confirming her identity.
Police say the investigation into Supernant’s disappearance and death “remains active.”
Supernant is one of four people to vanish from the area since 2023. Cornish said it haunts her to know her sister’s body was dumped and no one has come forward.
“Darylyn was loved by so many people and it is just heartbreaking that anonymous figures in town can go around knowing what happened to her and not let her family know,” she said.
Sister speaks about opioid addiction
The official cause of death has not been released, but Cornish told APTN News she thinks it’s important to talk about factors, like opioids, she believes could be involved with her sister’s death.
“It is no secret that Darylyn did live a high-risk lifestyle. She was an opioid user and I think that is a major problem in town,” said Cornish. “But not the drug users themselves. It’s the fact that we don’t have appropriate policies or accommodations to ensure that people are safe.
“I have no problem saying I think Darylyn would still be with us today if we had an appropriate system of care for drug users,” she said.
She describes Supernant as a woman who cared deeply for her siblings and felt that family was important to her.
“She had the greatest smile. She had a very memorable laugh which I think everyone would agree was contagious,” said Cornish.
Dawson Creek Mounties announced last month that another body found along the Kiskatinaw River had been identified as belonging to Renee Didier, who was Supernant’s cousin.
Read More:
Cree Mother’s remains identified in Dawson City
Didier went missing in December and her remains were discovered on May 18, with Dawson Creek police identifying her 10 days later.
Didier and Supernant’s uncle, Walter Mineault, a vice-president with the Métis Nation of B.C., told The Canadian Press that after Didier’s body was identified that closure for their families would only come after they knew “the whole story.”
As Cornish digests the news of her sister’s death she wishes that there had been more done to find her sooner.
“Last year in the summer her cousin did organize a search party and didn’t find anything. But it is really upsetting that she was [found] not even that far from town,” said Cornish.
In addition to Didier and Supernant, RCMP say a 24-year-old man, Dave Daniel Domingo, disappeared last August, and Cole Hosack was last seen on New Year’s Eve. He was just visiting the area.
With files from The Canadian Press
