Northern Manitoba community seeks answers to unsolved murders

More than 700 kilometers north of Winnipeg sits a tiny community that many who have by no draw been to can also neutral know factual for its isolated repute and subarctic winter temperatures.

Nonetheless over the previous few decades the town of Thompson has also develop into known for issues a long way extra unfriendly -– crime, violence, and destroy instances that have by no draw been solved.

Thompson, a city of about 13,500 residents, sits alongside the Burntwood River, 761 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

On the starting establish primarily based in 1956 as a mining town, Thompson is now referred to as the “Hub of the North,” offering a lot-wished services in the space luxuriate in health care and retail sales.

Nonetheless 35 years up to now, Thompson modified into known for what was as soon as and is one amongst the most excessive profile destroy instances ever in this province, and particular person that police have by no draw been ready to solve.

Kerrie Ann Brown was as soon as factual 15-years-frail on the evening of Oct. 16, 1986 when she went to a dwelling occasion in Thompson together with her discontinuance neutral correct friend Nicole Zahorodny.

When Brown modified into upset after seeing her ex-boyfriend talking to one other lady, she made up our minds it was as soon as time to go away the occasion.

Brown and Zahorodny made up our minds they would go away together, however after they got outside Zahorodny realized she forgot her purse, and told Brown she was as soon as going to trip support in and fetch it.

When she came support outside, Brown was as soon as long previous and Zahorodny would by no draw perceive her neutral correct friend all over again.

Two days later, Brown’s bludgeoned body was as soon as discovered on the outskirts of Thompson.

An arrest came rapid, as a 22-365 days-frail man was as soon as arrested and charged with first-level destroy no longer up to per week after Brown’s death.

A converse stayed the prices in early 1987, however, citing a lack of evidence, and to on the second the case has by no draw been solved.

And whereas the case of Brown can also neutral be the most excessive profile frigid case out of Thompson, there are assorted unsolved murders that continue to dangle-out the town, together with the case of a single mother who was as soon as killed whereas working to originate money so she might per chance come up with the money for to give her family and her most appealing son a wonderful Christmas.

Lissa Chaboyer, 35, of Thompson was as soon as known to capture a second job driving a taxi in the months leading up to Christmas yearly, as a formulation to catch additional money.

On Nov. 26, 2005, Chaboyer was as soon as driving a cab when she was as soon as dispatched to a fare on the Thompson Enviornment factual after hour of darkness. No longer long after she referred to as her dispatcher to say she was as soon as headed to the Ramada-Burntwood Lodge in Thompson.

That was as soon as the final any person ever heard from Chaboyer, as RCMP mediate that at around 12: 30 a.m. that morning she was as soon as driving in her cab with extra than one passenger when she drove on the support of the Thompson City Centre Mall.

She was as soon as attacked, stabbed, and left to die on the frigid, darkish automobile parking lot on the support of the mall. The case remains frigid.

One frigid case in Thompson entails the case of a particular person being killed in his very dangle dwelling in the wee hours of the morning after waking up to a noise.

On Oct. 25, 2007, Bernie Carlson and his wife Elva had been asleep in mattress after they had been awoken to the sound of their dogs barking.

Carlson went to perceive what was as soon as occurring, however moments after gunshots rang out and he was as soon as shot useless.

Police have mentioned that after they got to the dwelling they found the front door had been compelled delivery, and Carlson was as soon as mendacity useless on the ground, whereas his wife hid in the bedroom no longer determined if an armed man was as soon as composed in the house and coming for her next.

Worship Brown and Chaboyer’s case, this case also remains frigid.

One other case of destroy in the town entails a particular person strolling to his dwelling after a evening out, however by no draw making it dwelling.

Jason Nunn was as soon as 25-years-frail on the evening of April 23, 2011 and spending a evening out with mates on the Component Restaurant and Lounge in Thompson.

Nunn, who was as soon as living at his oldsters’ dwelling in Thompson, and training to be a mine refinery worker on the time, left the institution around 2: 30 a.m. on April 24.

Nunn by no draw made it dwelling, as around 6: 20 a.m. RCMP got a name of a useless body mendacity on the boulevard, a body that turned out to be Nunn’s. Nunn was as soon as useless, and police deemed that he had been beaten to death. There has by no draw been an arrest in the case.

And together with frigid instances, Thompson has also develop into known over the previous few years for the concern of violent crime, as the town has consistently ranked among the many top communities in all of Canada for charges of violent crime per capita.

The city’s mayor Colleen Smook, who has lived in Thompson for 43 years, mentioned it does bother her and others in town that the community has develop into known for no longer up to successfully-organized causes, however she also says there is extra to those statistics.

“Our crime numbers are excessive because they are per a community of 13,500, whereas we are a hub for 55,000 folks,” Smook mentioned.

“Once we stare upon the stats of real crimes dedicated, most offences are dedicated and happen to persons with out a Thompson deal with.”

She mentioned Thompson city council works closely with local RCMP to abet fight crime in the space, and they’ve adopted proactive programs neutral no longer too long up to now to strive to forestall crimes earlier than they happen.

“There’s extra to crime and security than meets the perceive,” Smook mentioned. “For a pair of years childhood crime and mischief, together with childhood exploitation was as soon as rampant. We lobbied the province and they supported Avenue Attain which has viewed an huge turnaround in childhood statistics.”

Established in 2019, the Avenue Attain program works to abet young folks and childhood to fetch out of excessive-risk eventualities, and forestall them from being sexually assaulted or exploited.

And as Smook and others work to defend crime off the streets of Thompson, she mentioned she hopes that at some point those that have misplaced loved ones to unsolved murders will sooner or later fetch some answers.

“Carrie Brown was as soon as a young teen leaving a occasion and plenty of of her mates composed dwell here, Lissa Chaboyer left on the support of a young son and oldsters that composed undergo to on the second, and the Carlson and Nunn murders left many in this community shattered,” Smook mentioned.

“We no doubt need frigid instances resolved.”

Any individual with files on any unsolved killing in Manitoba can name the RCMP Historical Crime Unit at 204-983-6880, or name Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Solar. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Govt of Canada..