RCMP release cell phone conversation containing man's voice in hopes of solving case of missing Indigenous woman
RCMP investigators with an Alberta missing persons task force have taken the rare step of releasing a cell phone recording of a man’s voice in hopes it would lead to solving the two year-old disappearance of Amber Tuccaro.
APTN National News
EDMONTON–RCMP investigators with an Alberta missing persons task force have taken the rare step of releasing a cell phone recording of a man’s voice in hopes it would lead to solving the two year-old disappearance of Amber Tuccaro.
Project KARE investigators released the cell phone recording of Tuccaro, 21, and the unidentified man during a press conference Friday in Edmonton.
“We know that the voice on the tape belongs to a man who was in (Tuccaro’s) company after she was last seen, so identifying him is a critical piece in our investigation,” said RCMP Staff-Sgt. Gerard MacNeil, in a statement. “We want the public to go online and listen to his voice. Our hope is that someone out there will recognize him and call us.”
Tuccaro was a mother to a 14 month-old son at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen on Aug. 18, 2010, after she left a hotel in Nisku, Alta., in hopes of catching a ride into Edmonton.
Between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuccaro got into a vehicle driven by an unknown man. While she was in the vehicle someone phoned Tuccaro who was overheard asking the unknown man where they were going.
“Where are we by?” says Tuccaro.
“We’re just heading south of Beaumont or north of Beaumont.”
Tuccaro again asks, “Yo, where are we going?”
The man is heard saying, “The back roads.”
Tuccaro responds saying, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
The man says, “No, I’m not kidding you.”
Tuccaro gets increasingly agitated.
“You better not take, you better not be taking me anywhere I don’t wanna go. I wanna go into the city. Okay?” she says.
She keeps asking him where they are driving to.
The man claims they’re going to “East” 50th St.
Then Tuccaro appears to ask what they’re driving on and the man says “gravel.”
The conversation ends.
RCMP investigators believe that Tuccaro was driven south and east of Nisku, into rural Leduc County.
“Subsequent to this phone conversation ending, no one has seen or heard from Amber,” said RCMP Const. Ray Shelton, in the video presentation of the cell phone recordings.
The RCMP believes rather than driving into the city of Edmonton, the male took Tuccaro south and east of Nisku.
Tuccaro is described as being 5’6 in height and weighing about 144 lbs with black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who can identify the voice on the tape or can provide any information about Tuccaro’s disappearance is asked to call Project KARE toll free at 1-877-5273 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Edmonton residents can reach KARE at 780-509-3356.
