Highway 16 in British Columbia is known as the Highway of Tears.
It is a route that holds many secrets of people who have gone missing or been found murdered along the stretch of highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert in northern B.C.
A recent breakthrough in the 12-year-old missing persons case of Madison Scott has triggered other families still looking for their loved ones.
RCMP announced the discovery of the remains of Madison Scott just one day after the anniversary of her disappearance. The remains were found on a rural property 18 km from where she was last seen.
“When I heard the news I was kinda devastated and elated for the family,” said Gladys Radek, whose niece Tamara Chipman went missing from the Highway of Tears 19 years ago.
Her family
Marlene Jack has spent every single day trying to find answers about four missing members of her family.
She’s happy for the Scott family.
“I was grateful that they did find her, but I was upset also because my family is still missing,” said Marlene.
Her sister, Doreen, vanished along with her husband, Ronnie, and their two sons, Russel and Ryan, who were five and nine years old.
The last time anyone heard from them was when Ronnie phoned his mom to tell her that he and Doreen met a man in a pub who offered them work in a logging camp.
That night
Ronnie also told his mother the man said there was childcare available but they had to leave that night.
Desperate for work, they agreed.
They were never heard from again. They were officially reported missing on Aug. 25, 1989.
Marlene feels Prince George RCMP investigators made many mistakes and didn’t take the case seriously.
“My sister and her family matter,” Jack told APTN News. “I don’t understand, I just don’t.
“[It] just blows me away that [RCMP] would make so many mistakes, admit it, say I would never have justice for my family. And then [are] phoning me and telling me I need to stop looking for my family, telling me [I] need to stop, [I] need to live [my] life! No! I’m not gonna stop. I’m not gonna give up!”
APTN reached out to the Prince George RCMP for comment about these allegations and did not hear back by press time.
