Three Alberta missing women cases now investigated as homicides
The unsolved cases of three missing Alberta women — two in the Hinton area and one last seen in Mundare — are now being investigated as homicides, RCMP told an Edmonton news conference Monday.
The cases include the disappearances of Shelly Ann Bacsu in 1983, Stephanie Stewart in 2006 and Deanna MacNeil in 2013..
Police say they do not believe the three cases are related. The victims' remains have not been found.
Staff Sgt. Jason Jason Zazulak of the RCMP K Division historical homicide unit said he hopes the public will come forward with information that could solve the cases.
"People out there do have information," said Zazulak. "Sometimes they don't feel comfortable sharing it. Over the passage of time, and changes in circumstances, maybe that's changed. Maybe now is the time for them to come forward."
Ongoing investigations
Shelly Ann Bacsu was 16 years old when she went missing from Hinton, Alberta. On May 3, 1983, she failed to return home from a friend's house. She was not located despite extensive searches by friends, family, and the RCMP.
Stephanie Stewart, 70, was working as a fire lookout near Hinton when she vanished in the summer of 2006. Evidence found at Stewart's cabin by the RCMP at the time of her disappearance led them to believe that she had been murdered.
Deanna MacNeil, 44, was reported missing to the RCMP by a friend who had not heard from her in 48 hours. She was last seen in Mundare, Alberta, on the morning of Nov. 28, 2013. Friends and family have not heard from her since.
