A nearly four-year-old cold case in Vancouver, B.C. has investigators turning to Washington and Oregon for help, as officials believe the woman at the center of the case may have spent her final days in the Seattle or Portland area.
The body of an unidentified woman was found near Spanish Banks on September 29, 2022, but has never been identified. She did not have a wallet or ID on her when her body was discovered.
Now, nearly four years later, Vancouver Police Department Detective Rebecca Matson said new testing of her sweater uncovered pollen. According to the Vancouver Police Department, the discovered pollen grains and fern spores found on the woman’s sweater indicated “recent exposure to an urban environment within the Pacific Northwest, plausibly Seattle or Portland.”
The Vancouver Police Department believes she may have been in the Seattle and Portland area before coming to Vancouver, where she died.
“She was newly arrived here,” Matson said, according to KIRO Newsradio. “At least that sweater hadn’t been out and about enough to pick up pollen, but it had pollen on it that showed she had previously been in the Pacific Northwest.”
Description of unidentified woman
The unidentified woman is described as of African descent, approximately 30 to 40 years old, with short black hair and distinctive facial freckles. Searches across North America and through Interpol have not found a missing person matching this description.
“This matters because a woman died alone, far from home,” Sergeant Adam Donaldson said at a media conference, according to CBC. “We know that there is somebody out there who is missing their auntie or their sister or their friend. We just need that one tip that will help us identify her.”
A blue inflatable kayak, an orange life vest, insulin, and some candy were found floating nearby her body, leading investigators to believe she could have suffered a diabetic-related issue before capsizing and falling into the water.
Law enforcement officials are expected to travel to Seattle and Portland to share their findings and appeal for public assistance in identifying her.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
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