Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 4611
Friday, March 16, Friday, November 16,2018 2018
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Someone Knows podcast Book a way toSomething preserve and seeks passtoon uncover the killer of Thompson’s Kerrie Ann Brown, memories of growing up in Churchill murdered in 1986 at the age of 15 that always gets my attention or form because I believe when i find all those kinds of there’s more than one person out there who knows someEfforts to find out who things in a case.” thing about this and we just Through the first nine epikilled 15-year-old Kerrie need one.” Ann Brown in Thompson sodes of Someone Knows Ridgen, who has uncovhave been going on for 32 Something’s fifth season, ered evidence in several preyears now but an investiga- Ridgen has been contacted vious cases that either led tion by the CBC podcast by a woman in Thompson to criminal proceedings or Someone Knows Something who remembers hearing her established the most likely is bringing new evidence to former boyfriend in Nelson way that a missing person light and, her family hopes, House making reference to a had died, is guardedly optiproviding the best chance white girl getting killed and mistic too. ever for Kerrie’s killer to be by a former RCMP telecommunications operator who “I hopefully will get brought to justice. enough information back Kerrie went missing Oct. says she got a call from that we’ll be able to con16, 1986, after attending a someone about a murder betinue making episodes and party with a friend. No one tween the time when Kerrie hopefully find a solution to realized she was gone until was last seen and when her the case,” he said. the following afternoon. The family realized she was misStill, simply undertaking day after that, her body was sing the next day. That call the the investigation can be found by a hydro line near may or may not have been helpful for family members the horse stables north of followed up on, depending upon which RCMP officer of missing people or homiThompson. cide victims, in Ridgen’s “We’ve been looking for you believe, and there have opinion. Kerrie’s killer twice as long been other obstacles along “You facilitate a process as she was with us,” says her the way, including the fact of inquest that they never brother Trevor Brown, who that there is no transcript of have undertaken before befirst reached out to Some- the 1987 preliminary hearcause it was too difficult or one Knows Something host ing for a man charged with painful,” he says. “ThrowDavid Ridgen about investi- Kerrie’s murder – the charing the person in an elevagating his sister’s case three ges were dismissed by the judge due to lack of evidence tor who’s afraid of elevators. years ago. That’s the kind of thing we Ridgen, who first became – and that the Brown family do with this process. It keeps involved in investigating un- is unable to obtain a new Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of CBC me feeling positive about solved crimes while work- copy of her autopsy report ing on a documentary about to replace the one they lost. The fifth season of the CBC podcast Someone Knows Something, produced by David what we make families go “The RCMP have told the Ridgen, above, is investigating the October 1986 murder of 15-year-old Kerrie Ann Brown in through in this process, that civil rights workers killed in Mississippi in 1964 by chief medical examiner not Thompson. Ridgen first became involved in investigating unsolved crimes while working on they can get something out the Ku Klux Klan, said he to give it to us,” says Trevor a documentary about civil rights workers killed in Mississippi in 1964 by the Ku Klux Klan. of it regardless of whether they actually get to a was aware of the case before Brown, who believes police courtroom.” Trevor Brown reached out to made mistakes in their inves- say something or knows way to relay information to represents the best chance Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham something that they’ve alhis family has to finally repolice. tigation of Kerrie’s murder It isn’t an easy process him, but it had never moved Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. “For me to have a conver- ceive solid answers about though, says podcast parRidgen says that people ways held or has some idea from the pile of possible of a I’m suspicious happening sationnot with themsafe maything go a swallow who waswhen responsible for ticipant coming forward new ‘Oh, Zahorodny, Canadian crimes to inves- to BY IAN GRAHAM For allNicole the harsh weather write things thatwith you have just as bad, right?’ was a very people say thethese time when Kerrie long Amirault, Kerrie’s death. residents and evidence areIt’sthe key to Iaround who the was dangers the last person to tigate into the pile of active to EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have all stories and to figure out. pretty clear doway,“ but I says jumped at it. I that Churchill of polar those are the one of many Ridgen should “I believe in my heart of bears, figuring outthrough.” what happened Iwent see Kerrie at the party investigation subjects. Though she’s now written when I get needmissing, to capture them for thought thatpeople was exciting just find somewhere deMeulles said ifthe it of people that wereally want interviewed forlanded Someone this is going to be night Kerrie. said she wrote kinds that viable she disappeared. “There was abun- to DeMeulles a book about heran experienmy grandchildren until the plane and hearts easier … to live. had been she would to come forward.” Knows Something, eventhe if the“To hammer that cracks the have wonder “That nightback on October 16 dance of evidence that was her“Sometimes ces growing up in Churchill, book, titled you Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing say, ‘Those people moved to ChurchManitoba RCMP feel the fuel the caller want to choose nut and to we’re get ill if there’s 1986 made a simple defound on the scene,” he Addictions Foundation of the Wind: other Storiesevidence, from the I don’t.” off anddoesn’t I realized, ‘Holy live going there. to They in aIheartbeat. Janna identify themselves. answers becauseisofquite this cision evidence, out there thatthe would rule myI says. “There was a director suspect physical Manitoba northern North - Life in Churchill for same Sheway, also and hasConst. a reputation cats, I was probably“You’re sitting our should just leave,’ “I miss shoreline, podcast,” Trevor says.disre“I’m miss Amirault of theherself. historical on ablea to extract a little more simplistic. someone might have as life and become greatest who had been taken into athat Gisele deMeulles said writcouple of reasons. a storyteller bomb.’” It’s quite the rock, my I miss the unit,such whicha is in charge pinpointthat on spectful. convincedIfofwe it and I need to polar away or case regret,”bears she said. outa preliminary hearing and ing wasn’t something she hidden “I just sortsomewhere of thought, “I had varied his- information Another orthing were in the even“The though older homicides a few questions I need thatarea we come of andwhat, that’sthis the kind thatdangerous short amount discharged. Thereshe were pas- know always thought would you know his- of tory andunsolved I would tell people spurred her on that was may the be. same boat to in know another they’reofvery and and missing casesgo, in hard provide more clarity.” this we for would a reason. This Iofreally of evidence thatthat’s we’rein looktime and that I sionate family members and tory, do. this stuff my stories times facing Churchill Idid think scream missthe thefact Hudson and persons they would which foul Kerrie’s brotherBay feelsRailthat about is, I believe, goingdon’t to get it Bay,” ing for,” said.to“Whether left her there to beI police “In seemed my youth never head, not play true,is issuspected, it?’ I’d go, since that so why they shealone says.would “Whenwalk I go it’she going be gone ‘That’s the Hudson says a it’s phone callThey’d is the best Someone Knows operations Something have done the in some somebody heard somebody Continued on Page 2 willing to attalk about itshe so if felt good writing,” I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah true.’ go, way optionway, to doshape that? back home, standing on the suspended BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. stories at Parks Canada in someone came to you and “ITAKOUT, have another book in DELIVERY, DINE-IN 10”“I did some pretty bizarre 12” her sister and other 14” family ifsaid, 16” Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personTOPPINGS put it on tape, I will write it Salami, deMeulles. didn’t dawn hardware there,” she Tandoori and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. Pepperoni, Ham, Donair“It Meat, Italian Sausage, Bacon, store Beef, BBQ Chicken, Chicken PUBLIC for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. you somewhere else and all 1Maybe inROAD the next five years Mushrooms, Onions, Green Peppers, Cooked Tomatoes, Fresh Tomatoes, Pineapple, OPEN UNTIL 11 PMI’ll focus on is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something Black Olives, Green Olives, Jalapeno Peppers, Hot Peppers, Feta Cheese (1 AM FRI-SAT, 12 AM SUNDAY) never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”
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