Another mystery foot in BC

[Sepka]

OT: I love the fact that there's a town named 'Woodfibre'


Isn't Vancouver where they had the 'pig farmer' murders recently?

[Jeff]

Isn't Vancouver where they had the 'pig farmer' murders recently?

The farm was in neighboring Port Coquitlam, but the victims were lured from Vancouver. Then there's Clifford Olsen, who killed at least 11 children in BC's lower mainland in the 1980s. (It was recently discovered he had a myspace page, where he said he wanted to meet Jesus Christ, Pamela Anderson and Britney Spears.)

On other coasts, six unidentified feet washing up might not mean the same thing. But BC has a history.

The funniest thing in Lynch's Fire Walk With Me is Laura Palmer taking Donna to Jacques' nightmarish club across the border in BC. "Welcome to Canada," she says. "Don't expect a turkey dog here."

Yeah, that's Canada. BC most of all.

[brekin]

Somewhat not related to the water feet.

Is it true Canada for the most part doesn't treat it's raw sewage? Especially the Vancouver B.C., and Vancouver Island area?

[Jeff]

Is it true Canada for the most part doesn't treat it's raw sewage? Especially the Vancouver B.C., and Vancouver Island area?

I don't think that's true, though it's been notoriously true that Halifax was dumping raw sewage into its harbour. But that's changing ("the dogs, when they get out of the water they don't smell any more").

[Jeff]

More details about the latest find in this story:


Remains of sixth foot found in British Columbia

Updated Wed. Jun. 18 2008 5:15 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A sixth human foot dressed in a running shoe has washed ashore in British Columbia, adding to an already grotesque mystery that began nearly a year ago.

It was discovered on a beach in Vancouver Island early Wednesday morning.

"The object will ultimately be examined by a forensic pathologist in attempts to determine the source of the foot and if it is related to other feet recently found," RCMP Sgt. Mike Tresoor of the Campbell River detachment said in a statement.

He added that the latest foot was found inside a size-10 black Adidas shoe.

All of the feet have been found in the waters of the Georgia Strait area between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland.

...

B.C.'s chief coroner Terry Smith has said foul play is not suspected because there does not appear to be any evidence the bones were severed.

"There is no other process going on other than disarticulation of the feet,'' he told reporters Tuesday.

Investigators are focusing on the missing bodies of four plane crash victims who disappeared in February 2005.

Those victims include two brothers of Kevin DeCock. He has spent the past three years trying to find their remains, navigating a complex system of channels and currents and calculating where the tides may have taken the bodies.

The B.C. Coroner's Service has asked family members of the plane crash victims to provide further DNA samples to see if there's a match between their samples and DNA taken from three of the five feet.

Dr. Gail Anderson, of the Simon Fraser University Centre for Forensic Research, said it's possible the feet belong to the missing bodies.

"Perhaps a plane going down, a boat going down, where a number of deaths have occurred (could be the origin)," she said. "Perhaps something has happened, the tide has shifted, another boat has hit it, something has happened to move it."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... TopStories

[streeb]

Mmm, I wonder...

Missing

Dozens of young, healthy men have mysteriously vanished in southwestern B.C. in recent years.
Many of their families suspect the disappearances are connected--police say no.

Sandra Thomas, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Chilliwack resident Michael Scullion, 30, last seen in Agassiz April 10, 2008.

Burnaby resident Kellen McElwee, 25, last seen in Langley March 19, 2008.

Langley resident Derek Kelly, 32, last seen at Bridge Lake Jan. 1, 2008.

Langley resident John Kahler, 29, last seen at Stave Lake Nov. 2, 2007.

Burnaby resident Brian Braumberger, 18, last seen June 1, 2007.

The day after Mother's Day, Jane Kahler is missing her son John. He was healthy, sociable and had no known connection to crime.
He vanished last fall in a case that baffles police. And as too many families in the Lower Mainland believe, he is part of a growing list of
painfully mysterious missing person cases. More than one parent wonders if their disappearances are connected.
"Too many mothers are missing their sons," says Jane during an interview from her Langley home...

Cont'd

[Jeff]

Thanks streeb, I hadn't known that.

Map of the missing, from your link:

[bks]

B.C.'s chief coroner Terry Smith has said foul play is not suspected because there does not appear to be any evidence the bones were severed.

"There is no other process going on other than disarticulation of the feet,'' he told reporters Tuesday.

Investigators are focusing on the missing bodies of four plane crash victims who disappeared in February 2005.

Ok, but four men died in that plane crash, yet five right feet have washed up thus far?

Have to question your police work, there . . .

[barracuda]

Map of the missing, from your link:

Highly correlative with the other map. Where are the rest of these bodies? There are clearly more to come. These finds would now appear to be pretty clearly the remnants of unsolved serial killings. It is odd that a female foot was found, because of the gender-identifications usually associated with serial killings,that is, killing men and women is somewhat unusual for these sociopaths. And the report by streeb mentions only men. I wonder if the gender of the size 7 has been conclusively determined. It seemed that early on there was some doubt about that.

[massen]

Hello everyone - first post. Strange circumstances of course but I guess that's entirely um, appropriate. It's good to be here anyway.
---

So after much speculation and conjecture there comes talk of missing persons and plane crashes, which of course is all very reasonable and the among the first things that most of us and presumably the investigators would think of. And yet hasn't the reported official word up until now been that forensic tests have not revealed any links to known missing persons in the area?

In the earlier thread on Feb 16 '08 Jeff linked to this article (you need a subscription I think): http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... y/National

Quote:
"Forensic anthropology and pathology tests are used to determine the age, race and gender, but the coroner's office can't release details of its findings due to the ongoing police investigation, [B.C. deputy assistant coroner Jeff Dolan] said.

However, he confirmed that analysis of the first two severed feet has so far failed identify the individuals to whom they belonged. Efforts to recover usable DNA from the decomposed feet were successful, but there were no matches with DNA data banks or known missing persons, he said."

[Jeff]

More info on the latest from the Vancouver Sun:

VANCOUVER - The grisly saga of human feet washing ashore on the coastlines of British Columbia became even more macabre Wednesday with the discovery of a sixth human foot on a beach in Campbell River, B.C.

The sighting of a right foot encased in a size 10 men's black Adidas running shoe on a sand spit on the eastern side of Vancouver Island provides more dread to the growing mystery of who these feet belong to, and how many more are out there, waiting to be found.

...

Malone [witness to the discovery] said the leg bone was still attached to the foot bone and there was no remaining muscle. The leg bone was "cut on a straight line" just three to four inches above the ankle, she added.

"It looked like foul play. That's the first thing that came into my mind."

...

Chief coroner Terry Smith has said that DNA profiles developed for the first three feet do not match any of the missing person cases for which the coroner already has a DNA sample.

Smith also stressed that there is no evidence yet proving that the feet are connected to each other or belonged to victims of four play.

...

Prof. Kurt Grimm, who teaches earth and ocean science at the University of B.C., said it's unlikely the feet are washing in from the Pacific Ocean.

Rather, they're probably originating from B.C. waters.

"It's extremely unlikely that they're coming from the outside," he said.

Grimm said the six feet, all encased in buoyant sneakers, have either come from the strait or the Fraser River, which empties into the strait.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... 13f3c7d49e

[Jeff]

And yet hasn't the reported official word up until now been that forensic tests have not revealed any links to known missing persons in the area?

That seems a bit of a disconnect, doesn't it? DNA tests have been conducted on at least the first three feet and they haven't provided a match. And now there are more right feet than there were people on the downed aircraft.

And welcome to the board, massen!

[Jeff]

B.C.'s severed-foot puzzle takes on frightening aura
Sixth foot washes ashore on beach near Campbell River; 'It makes me wonder what's going on, is it foul play?'

JUSTINE HUNTER AND BRENNAN CLARKE

June 19, 2008

VICTORIA AND CAMPBELL RIVER -- The black running shoe, wrapped in seaweed, didn't stand out on the pebbled beach near Campbell River yesterday. It was the stomach-turning sight of human bones sticking up above the ankle line that left Sandra Malone shaken.

The long-time manager of the Thunderbird RV Park on Tyee Spit was at work yesterday morning when a distressed woman arrived, asking to phone police. She had just discovered what is now the sixth human foot to wash up on a B.C. shore in less than a year - and the second one this week.

While they waited for police to arrive, the woman, who had been collecting rocks, led Ms. Malone down to the beach. There she saw a man's Adidas sneaker. It was the right foot, about a size 10. Of the six feet to wash up in a relatively small section of B.C.'s coast, five have been the right.

"There were two bones sticking out above the ankle, about three to four inches, clean cut across," she said yesterday. "I assume it had been cut."

That detail may set this find apart. In the first four cases, police have no evidence that the feet were severed. It is more likely they came apart from bodies left in water, a natural process called disarticulation. The running shoes tend to preserve the remains, and help bring the feet up to the surface because the soles float.

Curtis Smith, a resident of Gabriola Island, who discovered the third foot in February, said the shoe, a white Nike runner, size 11, was stained with blood.

He also said that it looked brand new, "straight out of the box."

"When the RCMP guy came, all he said was 'pretty new tread,' " Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith and Eugene Boykin had been falling cedar on Valdes Island, when they decided to take a break and walk down to the beach. There they spotted the foot, with a white sock hanging from it. They examined it for saw marks but didn't find any, and indicated that it didn't appear to have been cut straight across.

Until now, the bizarre finds seemed like a distant story to Ms. Malone. Now her little beach has a malignant feel. "It makes me wonder what's going on, is it foul play? It's so close to home, it's a little scary."

The foot washed ashore on a long, narrow strip of land at the mouth of the Campbell River, about 50 metres north of an industrial dock. Ms. Malone pointed to the spot where the foot lay, just above the high water mark. The steep, rocky beach often collects objects washed up in the wake of cruise ships that frequent the Johnstone Strait.

Campbell River RCMP arrived at the scene and packaged the waterlogged remains in a plastic bin. The B.C. Coroners Service is leading the investigation into all six cases. They are transferring each of the feet to a forensics lab to obtain DNA samples and to search for clues about age, gender, height - anything that can help build a profile of who the feet belonged to.

Each case is being investigated as a separate file, but the RCMP's major crimes division is co-ordinating to determine if there are any links.

There are roughly 2,400 missing persons cases in B.C. and there is a strong likelihood the feet can be traced to somewhere in the province, an expert in ocean currents said yesterday.

Susan Allen, an associate professor from the University of B.C.'s Earth and Ocean Sciences department, specializes in the marine ecosystem in the Strait of Georgia. All of the feet have been located in or near the strait.

It's nearly impossible to pinpoint where these feet may have originated - the strait is a cauldron of fickle currents. "There is nothing simple in the Strait of Georgia," she said. "The currents change with the wind. I can't tell you what is upstream."

But it is probable they are, she said, a "local problem." They likely began their journey either in the strait or in one of the rivers that feeds into it. (In the case of the two feet that washed up at the mouth of the Fraser River, the math is simpler because nothing flows up that river.)

RCMP Constable Annie Linteau, a spokeswoman for the major crimes division, said the bulk of the investigation is being handled by the coroners service. In addition to DNA samples, investigators are trying to trace the sneakers to the manufacturers and, they hope, to the stores where the shoes were sold.

"We are reviewing all missing-persons files; it could it be a case of someone who may have jumped from a bridge, victims of drowning or a plane crash."

Kirsten Stevens visited the spit later in the day, hoping the latest find will help solve her own mystery. Three years ago, a float plane crashed just minutes away from Campbell River. Only one body - her husband's - was recovered. Four men are still missing.

"We came down to see what we could find out," she said, referring to the victims' families who were brought together by the crash. "It makes us want to go out and search the beaches all over again."

As she spoke, a realization hit her. "Aw gosh, this is the same spit where the plane took off from," she said. "It's a reminder of the lack of closure we've had with five men dying. It's disheartening."

Everybody has a theory ...

Everyone from forensic experts to conspiracy theorists are casting about for an answer to the mystery of the feet that are washing up on B.C. shores.

Theories swirl that they belong to people who perished in plane or boat crashes. Stowaways - desperate to flee to another land, dangerously encased in vessels and often travelling in groups - are another possibility, says one American underwater crime-scene investigation expert.

"With the ocean currents that prevail in that area, I would not be surprised to see maybe some stowaways that have gone overboard," said Joseph Finley, a retired FBI special agent.

"These folks generally find watertight compartments underneath the bottom of the ship.

"It would be easy for someone to fall in, be washed in or be sucked into the eddy under the ship," he said.

The six disembodied feet encased in running shoes have all turned up on a relatively small patch of the vast B.C. shoreline within the past year.

Two feet were found this week, including one that appears to be a man's right foot, size 10.

Online forums have lit up with whodunit theories, many quickly veering into the outrageous. Conspiracy theorists hypothesize on everything from a crazed podiatrist or a foot fetish serial killer to a twisted mortician tossing body parts into the sea. But Dr. Finley quickly ruled out that type of reasoning.

"I don't think you have a perverted psychotic killer," he said. And he can't help but wonder if coastal B.C. is in for more gruesome finds.

"You can assume there are other lefts and rights floating out around there. There are a matching pair in the ocean - whether they show up or not is a different story."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... y/National

[barracuda]

"There were two bones sticking out above the ankle, about three to four inches, clean cut across," she said yesterday. "I assume it had been cut."

That detail may set this find apart. In the first four cases, police have no evidence that the feet were severed. It is more likely they came apart from bodies left in water, a natural process called disarticulation. The running shoes tend to preserve the remains, and help bring the feet up to the surface because the soles float.

Curtis Smith, a resident of Gabriola Island, who discovered the third foot in February, said the shoe, a white Nike runner, size 11, was stained with blood.

He also said that it looked brand new, "straight out of the box."

"When the RCMP guy came, all he said was 'pretty new tread,' " Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith and Eugene Boykin had been falling cedar on Valdes Island, when they decided to take a break and walk down to the beach. There they spotted the foot, with a white sock hanging from it. They examined it for saw marks but didn't find any, and indicated that it didn't appear to have been cut straight across.

I don't think stowaways usually wear new out of the box running shoes. And which is it, clean cut or ragged? Because a clean cut means body disposal. This is the first shoe showing fibia and tibia still attached. My tendency is to assume that the rest conformed to this, but were not found before decomposition allowed these bones to detach. Serial murders.

From streeb's article:

McElwee does not miss the physical similarities shared by the young men on the posters.

"If you put their pictures side by side with a picture of Bryan [Braumberger] they have the same look,"

Highly indicative of a serial killer.

[nomo]