The highway of tears is an 800-mile stretch of highway in British Columbia where a large number of women have gone missing or been murdered over several decades. The first disappearance was in 1969 and the last reported attack was in 2011, with victims numbering between 19-40. In 2005 the RCMP launched Project E-PANA to investigate the unsolved cases, solving 4 murders so far. Questions have been raised about corruption in the provincial government for potentially destroying records. Investing in improved public transit along the highway may help address the ongoing problem of hitchhiking making women vulnerable.

1. Highway of Tears A MYSTERY
UNSOLVED
BY HOSH YOUSSOUF
BLK 2-3

2. INTRODUCTION
The highway of tears is an area that stretches over 800
miles across highway 16 between Prince Rupert and
Prince George and also passes through dozens of
smaller communities. The transit here is really poor so
it has become a large area for hitchhiking, which has
lead to the death of many women. Most of the women
that have been affected by this are Native women

3. History of the highway of tears
The true tragedy of these murders and missing peoples
reports in that area are that most of them go unsolved.
The first disappearance happened in 1969 and the last
reported attack was in 2011. The police estimated that
the number of victims at around 19 while the aboriginal
community believe that the number is in the mid 40’s.
These numbers come from just the few cases that are
reported

4. Victims

5. Most recent attack
This problem still is apparent as the most recent attack
was in May 2011. Madison scot age 20 went missing
after a party, her tent and truck was found but her
body/remains were never located

6. Searchers: Highway of Tears
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz63Vppw3gE

7. Map of the Highway of Tears

8. Project E-PANA
In 2005 the RCMP finally decided to take action and
launched a program to look into all unsolved murders
that happen on highway 16 over the past 37 years. The
E-PANA project has officially solved 4 murders the
murder of Colleen MacMillen, Gale Weys, Pamela
Darlington and 12-year-old Monica Jack. The E-PANA
project is still actively investigating the unsolved
murders but it is very unlikely that most of the cases will
be solved

9. Corruption in the provincial
government

10. Corruption in the provincial
government
There are many question being asked of the provincial
government. These questions are being asked due to the
belief that many records on the highway of tears were
destroyed, when multiple groups requested accesses to
these files. These accusations surfaced when Tim Duncan a
former executive assistant to Transportation Minister Todd
Stone came out and said that he was told to delete files after
the New Democratic party filed a freedom of information
request on all records concerning this issue. Do you believe
the Provencal governments hiding something

11. BOBBY JACK FOWLER

12. BOBBY JACK FOWLER
Bobby jack fowler was the first man linked to any of
murders regarding the highway of tears. He was linked
to three of the murders and may be connected to 4
other murders as well. RCMP believes he could have
killed up to 20 people on the highway of tears his DNA
was found many times but not enough evidence. Three
more murders occurred well he was prison so there
must be another killer on the loose as well

13. IS RACISM A FACTOR
It is suspect that not much is being done about the
disappearance of the women from highway 16 due to
the fact that most of the missing women were native.
Many groups and activist believe that the media is
giving less attention to the subject due to Native
women being a minority in our country and if they
happened to be white a much larger effort would given
on this issue

14. Investing in a solution
Doing some research into this topic I notice a very simple
answer on how to make highway 16 much more safe. It was
quite simple invest more into transit and it look like the
provincial government had the same idea The B.C.
government is committing $3 million to improve public transit
along B.C.'s so-called Highway of Tears. The funding comes
following a recent meeting between transportation officials
and First Nations leaders in the area, to address the major
issue about the number of women who have gone missing
or been murdered while hitchhiking Highway 16, which runs
between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Personally I
believe that this is a step in the right direction

15. Leland Vincent Switzer
Leland Vincent Switzer is a killer that been linked to the
highway of tears mystery. He is currently serving a life
sentence for the death of his brother. Was the subject
of an RCMP investigation because they believed he
was linked to the murder of Nicole Hoar. She was last
seen hitchhiking to a music festival before she
disappeared. The RCMP announced that he went
under a polygraph test linked to her murder. No further
details have been released by the RCMP on his this
subject

16. With New Government comes
new attitude

17. With New Government comes
new attitude
The newly elected government has shown more
interest into the topic of missing aboriginal women,
which would also connect to more interest into the
highway of tears. Prime minster Justin Trudeau has
pledge 40 million into a national inquiry on missing
native and indigenous women. He promised that he
would take action on a subject that was being ignore
prime to his time in office

18. References