Post by : Meena Ariff

Beginning Monday, Manitoba will initiate a fresh search at the Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg, aiming to recover the remains of two First Nations women whose cases are connected to distinct serial murderers. The teams assigned for this operation underwent specialized training this week, gearing up for what is anticipated to be a delicate and intricate search.

The initial phase will prioritize locating Ashlee Shingoose, one of four women killed in 2022 by Jeremy Skibicki, who is currently serving a life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years. Shingoose was not named during Skibicki’s trial and was instead referred to as Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe—Buffalo Woman—a title bestowed by Indigenous community members. Investigators confirmed her identity through discussions with Skibicki post-verdict and DNA analysis, concluding that her remains were likely disposed of at the Brady Road site.

Following this search, the province will shift its focus to finding Tanya Nepinak, who disappeared in September 2011. On September 13, she left her home saying she was going out for pizza but never returned. Authorities later indicated to her family that she may have been killed by Shawn Lamb, who has been convicted in other homicide cases. Investigators have long suspected that Nepinak’s remains could be located within the landfill.

To prepare for this undertaking, the province conducted a test phase in August, excavating a small section and employing ground-penetrating radar to investigate the underground conditions. This preliminary work helped to refine the likely search area and assess the necessary equipment and methods for the upcoming searches.

This renewed initiative follows the successful recovery earlier this year of the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran at the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg, who were also victims of Skibicki. Their deaths, along with the case of Rebecca Contois, whose partial remains were uncovered at Brady Road in 2022, formed a crucial part of the evidence against Skibicki. Court evidence demonstrated that he specifically targeted women in precarious situations and discarded their bodies in garbage bins destined for landfill sites.

While the provincial government has refrained from commenting ahead of the search's commencement, it has previously committed to taking every reasonable step to assist families in locating their loved ones. For the families of Shingoose and Nepinak, this renewed search is a complex blend of hope and grief, yet it also presents a chance for overdue answers. Officials have not indicated a timeline for this operation, but the extensive preparations suggest a thorough and meticulously organized search.