Chelsea Poorman investigation leads Vancouver police to botanical gardens
A police mobile command centre set up along the perimeter of VanDusen Botanical Gardens Saturday morning is connected to the investigation into the death of Chelsea Poorman, the Vancouver Police Department has confirmed.
The operation started around 8 a.m. Saturday though no details have been released about what investigators are looking for.
In an email to CTV News, spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said “we have shared details about today’s efforts with Chelsea’s family” and said the investigation was ongoing.
Poorman’s mother has previously stated she believes the circumstances around her daughter’s death are highly suspicious, saying Chelsea’s cranium and some fingers were missing upon the discovery of her remains.
Lorelei Williams has been supporting the family through the investigation and was invited to see firsthand what officers were doing. She said investigators were searching through the park in case coyotes had carried some of Chelsea’s remains to their dens.
“They showed me where they’re searching and they showed me what they’re searching with and the way they’re doing it,” Williams said. “If a coyote took a part of her, they’re going to check this part out.”
Despite the operation the park remained open to the public. When asked why the park wasn’t closed, Sgt. Addison said “it wasn't necessary to do so for the work we were doing today.”
Poorman was a member of the Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan and had recently moved to Vancouver when she went missing in 2020. Almost two years later, her remains were found on the property of a home in the upscale Shaughnessy neighbourhood which was believed to be frequented by squatters.
Vancouver police say they believe she died the day she disappeared, or sometime shortly after, and her remains had been exposed to the elements for 20 months.
Investigators have said there is insufficient evidence to call her death suspicious -- but her family is still desperate for answers, and believes posters pleading for information could prompt somebody to come forward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.