Missing woman Jennifer Catcheway may be in Duck Bay, family told
Jennifer Catcheway’s family says since they went public last week about new leads in the missing woman’s case, they’ve received four more tips that her remains may be in Duck Bay, Man.
“I’m convinced,” Bernice Catcheway, Jennifer’s mother, told CBC News.
Catcheway said she and her husband received multiple phone calls in the last week from people in the remote community a 450 kilometre drive northwest of Winnipeg.
“They were telling us stories of what had happened eight years ago, stories that came up,” she said. “My question was ‘Why now after eight years are they coming forward?’ but regardless of the time that’s passed, I am happy that they did come forward with information.… It’s hope.”
The family is setting out on their fifth search of the community in recent months, but this time two specially trained German shepherd search dogs from Search and Rescue Manitoba will join them.
“I’m glad for that,” Catcheway said. “We’ve worked with them over the years. These are different dogs, but I know that they’re very well trained.”
Wilfred Catcheway and a group of searchers comb a river in Duck Bay, Man. New information about his daughter’s disappearance has led them to search the community. (CBC News)
Jennifer went missing in 2008 just shy of her 18th birthday. RCMP traced her to a party in Grand Rapids, Man., but don’t know what happened after that. Police have ruled her case a homicide.
Over the last eight years, Jennifer’s father has conducted dozens of his own interviews with people about her disappearance, which led the family to Duck Bay.
The tips and details are being kept private to protect the integrity of the investigation, but the family did say a previous person of interest in the case is from Duck Bay.
“The individual that was last with her, that’s his home,” her mother said.
The man was arrested shortly after Jennifer’s disappearance but was released without charges being laid. He was found dead in Duck Bay in 2015 and second-degree murder charges have been laid in that case.
Family calls for volunteers
Catcheway, her husband and members of Search and Rescue Manitoba will be conducting a ground search in two areas in Duck Bay. They will also continue to drag the bottom of a river near the community with hooks and video cameras to search for evidence. The family is urging people in the community to join them.
“I’m looking for volunteers to come out to help us search today and the rest of the week,” she said. “We have our bright orange jackets.… They can recognize us by that.”
Despite repeated calls to the RCMP last week, Catcheway said they have not heard whether police will search the area.
“My husband called them to no response, but you know, we’ve just got to go on. We can’t wait,” she said. “The snow is not going to wait. When it does come, it’s coming, so we can’t wait either.”