Police in Prince George, B.C., are asking for the public's assistance in locating two missing women known to be involved in the sex trade industry.
Natasha Lynn Montgomery went missing from Prince George in late August. The 23-year-old was last seen in the area of 3rd Avenue and Queensway Street.
She is described as Caucasian, 5-9, 130 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair.
Cynthia Frances Maas was reported missing by her friends on Sept. 23 and was last seen in the area of Juniper Street and 19th Avenue in Prince George.
The 35-year-old is First Nations, 5-2, 115 pounds and has long brown hair and brown eyes. Family and friends are concerned because they normally are in regular contact with Maas despite the high risk lifestyle she leads.
RCMP Const. Lesley Smith told ctvbc.ca that both areas where the women were last seen are known to be frequented by sex trade workers.
"Both women are known to be involved in the sex trade," she said. "At this stage we have no reason to believe that these women have been a victim of foul play or that these cases are connected, but we are investigating all possibilities."
The area of northern B.C. has come under scrutiny because of a number of women who have gone missing along Highway 16, the corridor that connects Prince George to Prince Rupert.
Since 1969, 18 women have gone missing along what has become known as the Highway of Tears.
Smith said that although the areas where Montgomery and Maas were last seen are both near Queensway Street, which connects to Highway 16, there is no evidence yet to suggest that the disappearances are connected to the Highway of Tears unsolved cases.
"A lot of our missing person's cases get located because often they are staying with family or friends in another area. Both these women are known to have friends and family elsewhere and we're hoping that's the case here," she said.
Sept. 21 marked the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of one of the 18 women, Tamara Chipman, who went missing along the highway while hitchhiking to Terrace, B.C.
Families of the 18 missing women have asked for a public inquiry into the unsolved cases. In 2006, the RCMP launched a special investigation into the disappearances.
