'Everything's on the table': Vancouver police tight-lipped as they investigate Indigenous teen's death
Vancouver police insist there's not much they can say publicly about their investigation into the death of missing Indigenous teen Noelle "Ellie" O'Soup, but "everything's on the table" as they work to determine how and why she died.
The 14-year-old's body was found on May 1 inside an apartment at 405 Heatley St. in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood.
The Port Coquitlam resident had been missing for nearly a year at that point, and her body was found alongside the body of another individual.
At a news conference Friday, Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin told reporters the second person found May 1 has not yet been identified.
"The (causes) of both these people's deaths – Noelle and the other person – right now, are unknown," Visintin said.
A third person – a man in his 40s – was found dead in the same apartment on Feb. 23, Visintin confirmed.
"This is very concerning," she said, when asked about the VPD's reaction to the discovery of three bodies in the same apartment in a span of just a few months.
"(It's) quite unusual as well, I'll add," Visintin continued. "So, that's why we have our Major Crime Section on this. And we're working to determine what happened here."
Asked whether police believe the deaths of O'Soup and the other individual found on May 1 are suspicious, Visintin sought clarification.
"What do you mean by suspicious?" She asked.
When the reporter clarified that he wanted to know whether police are conducting a homicide investigation, Visintin said police "haven't ruled out anything."
"Everything's on the table at this point," she said. "So, yeah, we're looking into all avenues on what caused this death – or deaths, I should say."
Noelle O'Soup was reported missing after leaving her home in Port Coquitlam on the evening of May 12, 2021.
She originally hailed from the 1,500-member Key First Nation in southern Saskatchewan, and one of the nation's band councillors told CTV News on Thursday that O'Soup was in the care of B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Coquitlam RCMP did not elaborate on the teen's living situation in any of their appeals for information on her whereabouts, saying only that "did not have permission to leave."
After the identification of her remains this week, Vancouver police took over the investigation.
"Noelle’s death will generate many questions in the community, and we are committed to finding answers," the VPD said in a statement issued Wednesday.
"If, during the course of this investigation, we determine there is a risk to public safety, we will immediately notify the public."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.