Note: Police have said the case is still a missing person. See new story here: https://paherald.sk.ca/2017/07/28/continue-investigate-missing-person-police-happy-charles-case/
The family of Happy Charles says that the investigation into the missing woman is now being treated as a homicide.
Regina Poitras, Charles’s mother, told the Daily Herald that the Prince Albert Police Service called her last Thursday with the information.
“They told me that they are changing it to a homicide investigation because of the circumstances of how she went missing,” she said. “They haven’t found her bags or any indication that she left the city.”
Charles went missing in April while visiting Prince Albert from La Ronge. She was captured on video near the Prince Albert Collegiate Institute. No one in the family has heard from her since. They have been desperately searching for her, scouring the city and surrounding fields and woodland.
Poitras said the police informed her that they met with Crown prosecutors shortly before calling her last week. They didn’t share any information about new evidence or potential suspects in the case.
“They are keeping it all pretty close to the chest right now,” said her husband, Carson Poitras.
Regina said she was stricken by the news, but not surprised.
“It wasn’t unexpected,” she said.
“We already knew that something probably happened to her,” said Carson.
Both Poitrases say they will continue to search for their daughter. They say that they’re still fundraising, and welcome tips from anyone with information on the case. They hope people treat her disappearance with the same concern they would for any other missing person.
“Our daughter is a mother, a grandmother, a niece, an aunt,” Carson said.
Anyone with information on the Happy Charles case should contact the Prince Albert Police Service’s tip line at 306-953-4248. Crime Stoppers will also accept information anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. Charles is 5’3” and approximately 112 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
