HomeCANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
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CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
by karma Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:53 am
Vancouver Island RCMP search for missing teen
January 24, 2011 1:34 PM
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are looking for Tyeshia Jones, 18, who went missing from a friend's home in Duncan on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
DUNCAN — RCMP are looking for an 18-year-old Duncan girl who hasn’t been seen since she wandered away from a friend’s house early Saturday morning.
The mother of Tyeshia Jones alerted the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP that she hadn’t heard from her daughter since late Friday night, according to police spokesman Cpl. Kevin Day.
That night, Jones was at a gathering at a friend’s house in the 5000-block of Miller Road in Duncan. She was supposed to spend the night there but police believe early Saturday morning she left the house and walked along August Road.
A friend told police that around 3 a.m. Jones sent a text message while on August Road and arranged to meet the friend at the Superstore in Duncan, according to Day.
But Jones didn’t show up and she hasn’t been heard from since.
Police have checked her bank and cellphone records and interviewed family and friends to try to determine what happened to her.
On Monday morning, Cowichan Search and Rescue volunteers and police were scouring the area where she was last seen.
Jones is First Nations, has long, black hair and weighs about 120 pounds. She has braces and was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with information on Jones’ whereabouts should immediately call North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
Click to read more
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Monday Jan. 24, 2011 8:07 PM PT
Missing Vancouver Island teen's cell phone recovered
Mounties on Vancouver Island say they are increasingly concerned about the welfare of a missing 18-year-old after her cell phone was discovered Sunday morning.
CTV News Video click here
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January 25, 2011
update on search...
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RCMP probe property in search for B.C. teen
Jan. 25, 2011 8:49 PM PT
snipped.....
Investigators concentrated their search Tuesday on a ravine property behind a home on Miller Road, the same block she was last seen in. The area was closed off by yellow police tape and forensic teams could be seen entering the area at mid-day.
Police told CTV News a member of the search team found an item that will be examined carefully by investigators, but would not say what it was.
"At this point until we determine what sort of investigation we have -- if its beyond a missing persons investigation -- we can't be specifically to what has been found there, which has caused the interest level to be increased," Cpl. Darren Lagan said.
More than 20 officers have been assigned to the case and are following up on any leads from the public.
Tyeshia's mother continues to hope her daughter will be found and says her disappearance is very out of character.
Read more
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Massive search for missing Duncan teen
Friends and family gathered today to pray for the safety of Tyeshia Jones
Jan 26, 2011 14:00:53 PM
DUNCAN (NEWS1130) - As friends and family pray for the safety of a missing Duncan teen, Mounties search wooded areas and waterways for any sign of Tyeshia Jones.
Corporal Kevin Day says a lot of man power has been put towards this search. "Three dozen police personnel out there conducting the ground search. In addition we also have the Cowichan Valley search and rescue team searching the river, the woods areas as well as the ravines in order to find Tyeshia."
Day says police dogs, RCMP air services and tactical troops are also assisting in the search.
He adds the family is quite worried. "It's out of character for her, and the longer the time goes on, obviously the more concern it causes for investigators. So we are treating this with the utmost importance. We're throwing all of our resources into this."
He says despite rumours, police aren't calling it a recovery mission.
Read more
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AFN and Cowichan Tribes Call for Public Assistance in Disappearance of Young Cowichan Woman Near Duncan, British Columbia
OTTAWA, Jan. 26 /CNW/ - Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum are appealing to the public for assistance in the search for Tyeshia Jones, an 18 year old citizen of Cowichan Tribes who was last heard from at 3 a.m. on Saturday, January 22.
It is believed Tyeshia was walking on August Road towards the Superstore in Duncan, British Columbia. Her cellphone was discovered on Sunday outside the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road. Tyeshia is described as a First Nations woman of 18 years of age, 5 foot 4 inches tall, 120 pounds with long black hair and braces on her teeth. She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
"We appeal to all Canadians who may be able to help in this matter to please come forward," stated AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo. "Everyone understands how precious our children are. The AFN is always concerned when we hear reports of missing First Nation women and girls because this happens far too often. The citizens and leadership of Cowichan Tribes are doing all they can to ensure Tyeshia returns home safely. We call on everyone to join us in this effort."
Chief Hwitsum noted that the community held a prayer circle at noon today.
"We need prayers and good thoughts for the family and community for a positive outcome," said Chief Hwitsum. "Our community is devastated and we need to draw back on our roots of support as a community and pull together in both good and bad times. We call on the public to assist in any way possible, by coming forward with information or offering to assist in the search efforts or just keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of Tyeshia. We want her back in the circle of our community as soon as possible"
Anyone with any information on this matter is urged to call the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522. A RCMP news release with photos of Tyeshia can be found at:
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&languageId=1&contentId=18382
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2011/26/c5637.html
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'We just want her home,' says family of missing Duncan teen
January 26, 2011 5:02 PM
The grieving mother of missing Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones greeted the fifth day of an extensive RCMP air and ground search for her daughter with a simple wish: We just want her home.
As RCMP search crews continued their exhaustive search Wednesday, Mary Jim said it’s getting harder for her family to face the uncertainty surrounding her daughter’s mysterious disappearance.
“It’s getting harder every day,” she said. “Sometimes I find myself just thinking too much . . . where’s my baby girl?”
The 18-year-old, described by family as shy and loving, was last seen early Saturday after leaving her friend’s house on Miller Road. She was supposed to spend the night, but left sometime before 3 a.m.
Her last confirmed contact was via a 3. a.m. text message to a boy she had agreed to meet at the Duncan Superstore. Police believe she was walking along August Road when she sent the message.
She never made it to the meeting.
Her cellphone was found the following day by a caretaker in a garden bed outside the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road. The school is in a secluded area near paths leading to the Superstore.
Jim told The Province she feels Tyeshia is in a bad place that she can’t get away from, perhaps surrounded by alcohol and or drugs. She said Tyeshia has never disappeared or run away in the past.
“She’s somewhere where she can’t pull herself away from,” said Jim. “I just feel there is drugs around her or alcohol or both ... she’s just struggling to get herself out of there.”
Cpl. Kevin Day said an estimated 30 officers, including forensic experts, K9 units as well as an RCMP helicopter, scoured Wednesday the wooded trails and ravines near the route Tyeshia was believed to have walked on Saturday.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/just+want+home+says+family+missing+Duncan+teen/4174046/story.html#ixzz1CDB1ldN2
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Searchers no closer to finding Tyeshia Jones
Thursday Jan. 27, 2011 4:50 PM PT
RCMP on Vancouver Island say they have exhausted their search effort in the area where 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was last seen.
Jones has been missing for six days after planning to meet a friend at a grocery store in Duncan late Friday night.
Her cell phone was found on the grounds of a nearby adult learning centre the next day.
Duncan Mounties say there are 40 officers assigned to the missing person's case and there is still no indication she was met with foul play.
Search and rescue crews, dog teams and a helicopter crew have spent the last few days scouring the area she was last seen.
The search was suspended briefly on Wednesday while forensic identification unit examined a ravine property on Miller Road, but investigators didn't find anything useful.
"As time goes on, pieces are coming together but there's not enough pieces that have fallen into place yet and we need that to happen soon," Cpl. Kevin Day said.
Police say they're still following up on leads they've found in their investigation, including leads from the public.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110127/bc_jones_update_110127/20110127?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
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RCMP hopeful they will find missing Duncan teen alive
January 28, 2011
Mary Jim, right, the mother of missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones,
holds a picture of her daughter Thursday at a community event arranged in aid of the search.
Photograph by: KEVIN ROTHBAUER, POSTMEDIA NEWS
From constant prayers and moral support to an extensive search involving no fewer than eight organizations, the Cowichan and Vancouver Island communities have come together to assist the family and friends of missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones.
Jones hasn't been seen or heard from since last Saturday morning, and countless hours have been devoted to bringing her home safely.
"We're coming together as a show of strength from our people," said Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum. "We'll do whatever we can to provide some hope and strength."
Hwitsum was speaking outside the Si'em Lelum hall on Wednesday, where members of Cowichan Tribes and the greater community had gathered to pray for Jones and for the many personnel involved in the search.
While hopes remained high for a safe return, the Chief acknowledged that the community knows that isn't guaranteed.
"There is clearly a sense of fear," said an emotional Hwitsum. "The mind races to many other possibilities and outcomes. But we want to stay positive."
Hwitsum feels concern not just as the Chief of Cowichan Tribes but also as a mother herself.
"I've raised two children, and my heart goes out to the family," she said.
Despite the overall concerns, Hwitsum was pleased with the community's outpouring of support.
"I'm proud and impressed with how the Cowichan people have come through," she said.
Not far away from where Hwitsum was speaking, search and rescue personnel and RCMP officers mustered to continue their efforts.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Cowichan Search and Rescue had been joined by colleagues from Saanich, Metchosin, Juan de Fuca, Nanaimo and Ladysmith, and a delegation from the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization in Sidney was on its way, according to Christopher Comars of Cowichan Search and Rescue. Approximately 40 RCMP officers, including representation from Police Dog Services, Air Services, the Vancouver Island Tactical Team and Forensic and Major Crimes investigators, First Nations Community Police, plainclothes and uniformed officers from the local detachment were also involved in the search.
"I would venture to say there are over 100 people involved. People are basically working 24/7 in an effort to locate her," said Cpl. Kevin Day of the North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP detachment.
Efforts to locate Jones covered a specific area of interest near the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road, where her cell phone was found, and included searches on the Cowichan River in addition to the air and land investigations.
Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations was scheduled to fly out from Ottawa on Thursday to hold a press conference with Hwitsum to provide information and updates on the search. Out of respect for Jones's family, an appearance on Wednesday evening by Lieutenant Governor Steven Point, who was going to inspect a Cowichan Tribes cadets corps at the Si'em Lelum Gymnasium, was cancelled.
Day noted that First Nations Community Police officers were in constant contact with Jones's mother, Mary Jim, and her family. Police are remaining optimistic about the search.
"Everybody is hopeful," he said. "We are still treating her as a missing person. We don't have any evidence to suggest that she has met with foul play, and we are hopeful we will find her alive."
Jones was last heard from around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, when she sent a text message while walking on August Road. She had left a friend's house on the 5000 block of Miller Road around 2 a.m., and was believed to be heading for the Duncan Superstore to meet a friend.
She is described as a First Nations woman of 18 years of age, 5 foot 4 inches tall, 120 pounds with long black hair and braces on her teeth. She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with information about Jones should contact the North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5222.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/RCMP+hopeful+they+will+find+missing+Duncan+teen+alive/4182056/story.html#ixzz1CL21TFMh
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Missing teenaged girl found dead Friday morning in woods near Duncan
"Shock has hit us,” said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim.
January 28, 2011 5:01 PM
Victoria, B.C. - The body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was found in a wooded area near Duncan Friday morning, bringing a tragic end to a week-long search and commencing a homicide investigation.
“Right now shock has hit us,” said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim.
Hearing that Jones was found dead after days of hoping she was alive was like getting kicked in the stomach, said Thorne.
“We’d all hoped that she would be fine, we’d all hoped she’d be in the best-case scenario instead of the worst,” he said. “At least now we’ll be able to bring her home one way or the other.”
The family is feeling a wide range of feelings, he said.
Jones was “a Cowichan Tribes bands member, a cousin to myself and a lot of other people but most of all she was a human being, a good Cowichan citizen,” Thorne said.
He commended the RCMP for their efforts in the search and investigation into Jones’ disappearance and death: “The RCMP are doing the best that they can and it’s in their capable hands that we lay this lady, this young girl.
“God bless these guys. They’ve been busting their butts day and night for the last seven days.”
The tribe is gathering for a 6 p.m. candlelight vigil, he said. It’s not yet clear if the family will attend.
“They’re waiting to hear when the body will be released for a proper burial,” Thorne said.
Nothing in recent memory has affected the tribe like this, he said.
He urges people with information on Jones’ death to come forward.
“Somebody knows something and hopefully somebody will say something,” said Thorne.
“It takes time for somebody to grow the courage and say ‘You know, I think I better tell the truth,’” he added. “They have to live with whatever is on their conscience. Time will be a factor.”
The body was found near the Shaker Church cemetery, near a gravel access road.
The family is grateful for the support they’ve received from the community, he said.
“I know the mother and sister and brother will be grieving but in their hearts they are ever so grateful for all the people who have been and are supportive,” Thorne said.
The cause of death has not been released and is under investigation by the B.C. Coroners Service.
Jones went missing at 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after she left a residence on Miller Road and was reported to be walking to meet a friend at the SuperStore. She never arrived. Her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
A team of RCMP forensic identification officers have cordoned off the area where the body was located and are gathering evidence.
“Investigators are very conscious of the impact this discovery will have on the community,” said Cpl. Kevin Day in a press release.
“We assure the public that every necessary resource from across Vancouver Island is working to advance this investigation. We will update the community with further details as the investigation permits.”
Chief Lydia Hwitsum of Cowichan Tribes referred media enquiries to the RCMP.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Missing+teenaged+girl+found+dead+Friday+morning+woods+near+Duncan/4187637/story.html#ixzz1CNqWyJD3
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Search for Tyeshia Jones ends in tragedy
The search for 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones has ended in tragedy.
Police have just announced a woman’s body was discovered in a wooded area off of Indian Road shortly after 11 a.m. Friday.
“The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the RCMP Forensic Identification Section are actively investigating the scene of this discovery,” RCMP Cpl. Kevin Day said in a media release this afternoon.
“Investigators believe this is the body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones.”
Foul play is suspected, and official confirmation of identity and cause of death is pending.
Jones’ family has been notified, Day added, and officers are with them at this time.
Read more
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Do you know what happened to Tyeshia Jones?
January 28, 2011 7:00 PM
RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan and Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum urge anyone with any information about the disappearance and death of Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones to call police immediately at 250-748-5522.
Police and the family of Tyeshia Jones implore anyone with information about what happened to the Duncan teen to come forward immediately.
The body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was discovered in a wooded area near the Indian Road cemetery on Friday morning.
Jones went missing after leaving a party on Miller Road in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 22, and full-scale RCMP and Search and Rescue effort began on Monday.
Now instead of searching for Jones, police are hunting whoever is responsible for her tragic death.
“We assure the public and the Cowichan Tribes community that we are doing absolutely everything we can to identify who is responsible for Tyeshia’s death,” RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
“We also have to make an appeal to the public. Our experience in cases such as this is that somebody or some people know what happened. This is the time to come forward. There is a family in absolute agony right now, and a community feeling that agony. You need to do what you can to help investigators.”
Lagan urged anyone with information about Tyeshia’s disappearance and death to call the local RCMP detachment at 250-748-5522, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Meanwhile, more than two-dozen investigators from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and the Duncan RMCP, as well as specialized RCMP resources from across the island, are working on the file.
“People can expect to see an increased RCMP and police presence around the valley in the days to come, especially in the Indian/Miller Road area,” Lagan said. “We have a very large area to search and we’re going to ask people to be patient if they’re stopped or redirected. This is the most important of investigations and we are going to do everything possible to make sure nothing is missed.”
Lagan admitted the search for more information and evidence is a complicated one, given where Jones’ body was discovered.
“This is a very complex area as far as the geographic and the ground terrain,” he explained. “It’s densely wooded and it’s a large area. We do not expect this to be finished today. We expect this will take several days, if not longer, to complete.”
The B.C. Coroners Service had yet to determine Jones’ cause of death by Friday afternoon, but police suspect foul play.
“I know that’s a difficult thing to hear,” said Lagan, “but I think we need to be open and honest with the community and encourage them to help us. This is a very serious and complex investigation and we need their help.”
Jones’ body was discovered as part of a methodical grid search by Search and Rescue technicians.
“They are the experts in identifying an area, literally putting a grid to that map and then working it methodically,” Lagan said. “This was an area slated to be examined today as the search expanded, and shortly after they arrived and commenced the search in that area they located the body.”
The weeklong, large-scale search effort puts investigators in a better position now, Lagan added.
“We’re not working behind now. We are ahead because we’ve been doing so much up to this point and that’s going to be an asset to the investigation,” he said. “The family felt something wasn’t right; the community felt something wasn’t right, and that translated into us feeling something wasn’t right, and we proceeded in that sense.”
Members of the Vancouver Island RCMP Tactical Troop hit the ground again Saturday to continue canvassing efforts, but Lagan stressed the key role of the community in the investigation.
“This will be a community effort,” he said. “Information, tips, any support people can offer, we welcome.”
Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum echoed the call for public assistance.
“I just came from the family and they’re struck by this tragedy and they’re feeling a lot of pain,” Hwitsum said.
The chief also thanked all those who participated in the search effort to locate Jones, a recent graduate of the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre.
“It’s the worst possible outcome we could have had in the search,” said Hwitsum, “and at the same time we acknowledge all the efforts of the community, and call on the community to do whatever we can toward a sense of safety amongst our people in our community in this valley.”
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/114841189.html
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'My angel … she was my whole world'
January 29, 2011
The mother of slain 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones spoke Saturday of her heartbreak over losing her “angel.”
“She was my whole world and she still is,” Mary Jim said in an interview. “She is my angel. I always called her my African queen — because she was mixed black and native.”
Jones’s body was found Friday in a wood near Duncan after a week-long police search.
Jim said her heart has been ripped in half, but paid tribute to the support she has received from her family, friends and community.
“Without them, there’s no telling where I would be,” Jim said. “I want to be with Tyeshia but my job is not done here. I have three other kids to take care of. I do love her and I’m going to miss her a lot.”
She and her daughter were very close, Jim said, and could discuss anything with one another — even boys.
Jones, a member of the Cowichan Tribes, disappeared about 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a home on Miller Road to meet a male friend at the Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
Jones was not allowed out at that time of night, her mother said. “As a parent raising a young female child, I just encourage the teenagers today to start paying better attention to parents,” Jim said. “Tyeshia made this mistake one time and that’s all it took.”
Jim’s former husband and Jones’s father, Calvin Jones, who named his daughter, arrived in Duncan from Washington state Saturday. “I miss her and I wish she was here,” he said.
“There will be justice, whether it be up above or right here, but there will be justice done.”
Read more
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Tyeshia Jones case: RCMP warn residents after body found in B.C.
January 30, 2011
VICTORIA - Just a day after the body of a woman believed to be a missing 18-year-old girl was found in a wooded area in Duncan, B.C., police are warning residents to be extra cautious - suggesting people walk in groups, or take public transit, a taxi or a car.
The RCMP has expanded its investigation into the likely murder of Tyeshia Jones, adding 14 more officers and fanning out to talk to anyone in the region with information on the case.
As tactical troops knocked on doors, a forensic identification team scoured the area where the body was found, six days after Jones had disappeared.
The police search Saturday involved the examination of tire marks around the Shaker Church cemetery, close to the site of the body's discovery. In all, more than 50 investigators from southern Vancouver Island are working on the investigation, and two command posts have been set up in the search area.
"The police are all over the place," said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim. "I know they are going to find this person or persons."
Jones had disappeared around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend's house to meet another friend at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
Police have not revealed how she died, or whether she was killed elsewhere. An autopsy, set for Monday, is expected to confirm the cause of her death. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan said search-and-rescue technicians will rejoin the investigation Sunday or Monday - this time to hunt for items linked to the disappearance and murder.
"Obviously, we're looking for anything that would be a clue or a piece of evidence in relation to Tyeshia's death."
As investigators are unable to say whether the killing was targeted or random, though police advised the public to take extra safety precautions.
"We don't want to create a sense of panic but, at the same time, people need to think about that for the next little while until we can get some answers for them," Lagan said.
Thorne said rumours are already circulating, dividing the community - with a population of about 5,000 - in the same way that the search brought it together. "Everyone's under suspicion, no matter who you are or where you come from," he said.
Read more
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Only locals would know wooded area where Duncan, B.C. teen’s body was found: Cousin
January 31, 2011
VICTORIA — The remote spot in Duncan, B.C., where the body of a woman believed to be missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was found is an area only local residents are likely to know, a family member of the young victim says.
“Because of where she was brought, there’s no way a stranger would know that area — no way,” Joe Thorne, a cousin of the victim, said Sunday. “But again, that’s just my opinion.”
Jones likely was killed elsewhere and brought to the location where her body was found, said Thorne, who is also a Duncan city councillor.
The place where her body was found — a wooded area near the Shaker Church cemetery — was already searched prior to the discovery of her body, Thorne said, though the RCMP have not confirmed this.
Jones had disappeared around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend’s house to meet another friend at a grocery store. She never arrived.
“She got caught up in the wrong spot at the wrong time,” said her grieving mother, Mary Jim.
The RCMP have not said how Jones died, but an autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
Jim said she still imagines her daughter coming home. “(She’d) smile, give me a hug and say, ‘Sorry.’ ”
And, her mother said, the teen was not allowed out at that time of night; Jones made a “one-time mistake” and paid with her life, Jim said.
Jones was planning a career as a hairstylist or a model — something in the beauty or fashion industries, said her father, Calvin Jones.
“She always wanted to be pretty much perfect,” her father said, noting she was always smiling. “She would smile to make me smile.”
Jim agreed that her daughter always ensured she looked good before she stepped out the door.
“She took care of herself. She wasn’t being conceited. She was just confident in who she was.”
More than 50 investigators from southern Vancouver Island are involved in the probe into the death.
And police — who have been unable to say whether the killing was targeted or random — have advised the public to take extra safety precautions, suggesting that Duncan’s residents walk in groups or take public transit, a taxi or a car.
“We don’t want to create a sense of panic but, at the same time, people need to think about that for the next little while until we can get some answers for them,” said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan.
http://www.canada.com/news/Only+locals+would+know+wooded+area+where+Duncan+teen+body+found+Cousin/4198022/story.html
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January 31, 2011
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No suspects in slaying of Duncan teen, RCMP say
February 1, 2011
An autopsy Monday confirmed 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones of Duncan was the victim of a homicide. No one has been arrested for the slaying.
B.C. Coroners Service has determined the cause of death, but the RCMP is not releasing this.
“There has been hundreds of people who we’ve spoken to, but we have no suspects at this time,” said Island district RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan.
He would not say where police believe Jones was killed, whether sexual assault was a factor or whether a weapon has been recovered. He said it’s unclear whether this was a random or targeted attack.
“We haven’t been able to answer some of the important questions on this investigation,” Lagan said. “And until we do, we ask the public to exercise extra vigilance for their public safety.”
Investigators have finished gathering evidence from the area where Jones was found on Friday morning, in a wooded area on Cowichan Tribes land near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road.
Jones went missing around 3 a.m. Jan. 22 after she left a friend’s residence on Miller Road. She had arranged to meet an older male friend at the Superstore on the Island Highway but never arrived.
Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum confirmed that her 22-year-old son, Josh, was supposed to meet Jones at the Superstore.
The two had been at the party together that night but somehow became separated, Hwitsum said.
She said she doesn’t know why the two decided to meet at the Superstore, about a half-hour walk from where the party was held. Josh had borrowed a bike from someone at the party to meet her, she said.
“[Jones] had called and he had gone down to try and meet her — and she didn’t show up,” Hwitsum said. “When he saw she wasn’t there, he looked around, waited, and went back to the place where he borrowed the bike.”
Hwitsum said her son and Jones had been friends for about a year, mostly chatting on Facebook.
“He’s having a really hard time, of course,” Hwitsum said. “He’s just thinking, ‘Why didn’t I go further or look farther?’ ”
Hwitsum said her son has turned his cellphone in to the police.
Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and a cousin of Jones, said that in addition to the man she was going to meet, there was a “clique” of about four other males in the area at the time she disappeared.
He said the remote spot where she was found is an area only local residents would know.
“Because of where she was brought, there’s no way a stranger would know that area — no way,” said Thorne, who is also a Duncan city councillor.
He said he believes Jones was killed elsewhere and brought to the location where her body was found. Volunteers from the tribe had already searched that area days before her body was discovered, Thorne said.
Lagan said the first time police searched the area was Friday morning.
“Upon commencing that search, a short time later her body was found.”
Lagan said progress is being made by the more than 50 police officers investigating the killing.
The community has rallied around Jones’s family, said Duncan Mayor Phil Kent.
Close to 1,500 people are expected to take part in Take Back the Night — A Walk for Tyeshia Jones set for downtown Duncan on Feb. 18.
Duncan organizer Jeff Leggat said he’s overwhelmed with the response to a Facebook posting advertising the walk.
Anyone who wants to volunteer for the event can reach Leggat through email at lufajones1@hotmail.com.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/suspects+slaying+Duncan+teen+RCMP/4200062/story.html#ixzz1CkwVNqf0
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Hundreds gather for funeral of slain Duncan teenager
February 4, 2011 12:52 PM
DUNCAN — The body of 18-year-old murder victim Tyeshia Jones was laid to rest at St. Ann’s Church cemetery Friday morning following a funeral service filled to capacity at Si’em Lelum Gym on River Road in Duncan.
“It’s a very sad morning, very sorrowful, very somber,” said Cowichan Tribes spokeswoman Jenn George from outside the gym. “I think the family is overwhelmed by the support.”
The capacity at Si’em Lelum Gym is 800 people, George said, but upwards of 1,300 people arrived to pay their respects.
“We were having to say to people that there’s just no longer room,” George said. “Parking lots are full, some people came just to make donations of food or money.”
Cowichan Tribes has helped the family set up a trust fund to create a reward for information leading to the person responsible for killing Jones.
George said even more support was expected during a special lunch Friday afternoon. “There have been cooks in the kitchen for days.”
As of midday Friday, police had no new information about the search for the person or people who killed Jones. The 18-year-old went missing around 3 a.m. Jan. 22 after she left a friend’s residence on Miller Road. She had arranged to meet an older male friend at the Superstore on the Island Highway but never arrived.
Her body was found Friday, Jan. 28 in a wooded area on Cowichan Tribes land near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road.
Anyone with information should contact Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Meanwhile, the community continues to band together in an effort to come to terms with the death of their loved one.
Read more
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Investigators confident murder will be solved
February 11, 2011
A RCMP forensic response unit began looking for clues around the
site of the First Nations cemetery on Indian Road, on Saturday, Jan. 29,
the day after the body of Tyeshia Jones was discovered.
Who killed Tyeshia Jones?
It’s the question on virtually everybody’s mind — and we may have an answer soon.
“We’re still not at a point where we can speak to a suspect or suspects in relation to the murder, but we’re certainly making progress in the investigation,” RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan said Thursday morning.
“Investigators are very confident this murder will be solved, and that we’ll be able to bring those answers to the community in the near future.”
Jones, 18, was first reported missing on Jan. 22 when she disappeared after a party on Miller Road.
Her body was discovered in the woods near the Indian Road cemetery on Jan. 28.
Speculation and rumours have been swirling in the community since then, but police are dealing in facts.
“We’re at the point of analyzing all the information and evidence that’s been gathered, and we’re still continuing to gather more,” Lagan said. “That’s how these investigations progress — we gather evidence, examine it and put it all together to determine the person or persons responsible.”
Forensic work is happening in a Vancouver lab, tech work is being done in Victoria, and on-the-ground work continues in Duncan.
A core team of about 35 investigators — from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, Duncan RCMP and Forensic Identification Unit — has been working steadily on the investigation.
Along the way, help has come from the local First Nation Policing Section, Victim Services, the RCMP’s tactical troop, Search and Rescue technicians from all over the island, as well as RCMP air and dog services.
All evidence and information is seen by one officer with the major crime unit, and a Duncan Mountie.
“They literally see everything and are knowledgeable about everything to do with the investigation,” Lagan explained.
“They make the decisions as to what direction the investigation goes … and the last I spoke to them, both indicated they were making progress and were very satisfied with how things were moving along.”
Community support has also been significant, Lagan noted.
“We definitely feel in this case where the community is as committed to solving this crime, and cares as much as we do in seeing it solved,” he said. “That’s very important in any investigation and we definitely have it in this case.”
READ MORE
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Duncan teen murder probe heads south
February 14, 2011
RCMP has sought the help of Seattle Police in finding Seattle resident
David Tommy, 23, as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones.
The RCMP has asked Seattle police to help them reach a man that murdered teen Tyeshia Jones sent her photographs to several days before she disappeared.
The family of the 18-year-old victim say the young man police are seeking, David Tommy of Spokane, was a family friend.
Tommy has not been charged in the case.
Jones disappeared after 3:39 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend’s house to meet a man at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found on Cowichan Tribes land.
Court records say on Jan. 20, close to midnight, Jones sent photos of herself to Tommy’s cellphone.
Tommy is believed to be from the Duncan area and knows the parents of Jones, said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim. A search of various social media sites shows Tommy is connected to a number of Cowichan Tribe youth.
Thorne said in talking with the victim’s father, Seattle man Calvin Jones, he learned that Tyeshia recently “had planned to go stay with [her father in Seattle] for a while.”
Thorne said he knows Tommy’s family, but has never met David Tommy.
“I am from Canada and graduated High School. Don’t know what to do with my life yet, but I plan on doing something,” Tommy says on MySpace. He lists his age as 23. In profile pictures he poses making gang and gun signs.
The RCMP asked Seattle police to apply for a court order to access subscriber information for Tommy’s number, an application filed on Feb. 4.
The RCMP will not comment on the investigation or say whether they have any persons of interest, but 35 officers are “making great progress,” said Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Thorne said a candlelight vigil is planned for Friday for Jones and another murdered woman, Karrie Ann Stone. Last year Stone’s burnt body was found about a kilometre from the densely wooded area where Jones was found, Thorne said.
Some in the community are worried a serial killer might be at work, Thorne said.
“I’m hoping that anything [Seattle police] do find will pretty much tie the Karrie Ann Stone case with it as well,” he said.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Duncan+teen+murder+probe+heads+south/4281603/story.html#ixzz1Dz2P0n8I
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[left]snipped.....
RCMP have asked Seattle police to send them the phone records of a man to whom Tyeshia Jones sent her photographs several days before she disappeared and was killed.
Relatives of the 18-year-old victim said the young man, David Tommy of Spokane, is a family friend.
Tommy has not been charged in the case.
Police said the request for the phone records is a routine part of their investigation into the homicide.
Jones disappeared early Jan. 22 after leaving a friend's house to meet a man at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found on Cowichan Tribes land.
Court records say that on Jan. 20, close to midnight, Jones sent photos of herself to Tommy's cellphone.
. . . . . The RCMP have asked the Seattle police to apply for a court order giving them access to subscriber information for Tommy's phone number, says an application filed on Feb. 4.
The RCMP will not comment on the investigation or say whether they have any persons of interest, but 35 officers are "making great progress," said Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Read more
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Officers 'won't sleep' until killer found
February 18, 2011
The murder of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones has hit her family, friends, and the community hard, but has also affected the investigators working on the case.
"I have members that won't sleep until we solve this crime," North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP Insp. Kevin Hewco said Wednesday. "They've taken it very personally."
On Thursday morning Vancouver Island RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan confirmed 35 officers are still actively investigating the homicide, including those from the Victoria Police Department as well as the RCMP.
"Not only are there the Duncan resources from the General Investigation Section there but there's also Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit," Lagan said. "They've put in a lot of time and effort."
While officers are mustering from all corners of the Island, support from civilians is also palpable.
Read more
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Reward raised to catch Duncan teen's killer
February 28, 2011
A fundraiser for murdered Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones collected more than $6,000 on Sunday, which will go toward a reward to catch her killer. A silent auction held at the Quwutsun Cultural & Conference Centre drew more than 100 people who bid on prizes donated by dozens of local businesses, organizer Lena Williams said. Jones, 18, went missing in the early morning hours of Jan. 22. Her body was found Jan. 28 in a wooded area near Duncan.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Reward+raised+catch+Duncan+teen+killer/4362980/story.html
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Police sift evidence in murder probes
March 11, 2011
A team of 25 investigators is sifting through what police have described as "a mountain of information" to uncover just who is responsible for the murder of Duncan's Tyeshia Jones.
Every piece of evidence and every tip needs to be followed up by investigators, and that process takes time-- especially given the vast amount of information being obtained in the case, said Vancouver Island RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan on Tuesday
"We currently have exceeded 1,000 investigative tasks," he said.
Lagan explained that every single tidbit of knowledge police unearth or are given with regard to the case is assigned a task number. Police then follow up on each and every task, which can include anything from interviewing people to extracting information from an email or cell phone and more.
Every lead needs to be looked into, Lagan said.
The Vancouver Island integrated major crime unit and North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, assisted by RCMP 'E' Division's serious crime and criminal investigation units are continuing to actively probe the homicide.
"The investigational team remains very confident this case will be solved," Lagan said.
Read more
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Reward offered in Tyeshia's murder
March 17, 2011
Angela Carpenter and the rest of Tyeshia Jones’ loved ones urge
anyone with information about Jones’ murder to call police immediately.
If putting a killer behind bars wasn’t enough of an incentive, the friends and family of Tyeshia Jones are now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever’s responsible for her murder.
“Every last cent has come from donations and from the community,” said family friend Angela Carpenter.
And the reward money total continues to rise as more fundraisers are planned, such as Saturday’s youth dance at Island Savings Centre.
For the friends and family of Jones, who was 18 when she was killed in January, all that matters now is justice.
“It won’t bring (our) baby girl back, but it will give us some closure,” Carpenter said.
Anyone with information about Tyeshia Jones’ murder is urged to call the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522. All tips will be kept confidential.
Read more
January 24, 2011 1:34 PM
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are looking for Tyeshia Jones, 18, who went missing from a friend's home in Duncan on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
DUNCAN — RCMP are looking for an 18-year-old Duncan girl who hasn’t been seen since she wandered away from a friend’s house early Saturday morning.
The mother of Tyeshia Jones alerted the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP that she hadn’t heard from her daughter since late Friday night, according to police spokesman Cpl. Kevin Day.
That night, Jones was at a gathering at a friend’s house in the 5000-block of Miller Road in Duncan. She was supposed to spend the night there but police believe early Saturday morning she left the house and walked along August Road.
A friend told police that around 3 a.m. Jones sent a text message while on August Road and arranged to meet the friend at the Superstore in Duncan, according to Day.
But Jones didn’t show up and she hasn’t been heard from since.
Police have checked her bank and cellphone records and interviewed family and friends to try to determine what happened to her.
On Monday morning, Cowichan Search and Rescue volunteers and police were scouring the area where she was last seen.
Jones is First Nations, has long, black hair and weighs about 120 pounds. She has braces and was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with information on Jones’ whereabouts should immediately call North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
Click to read more
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Monday Jan. 24, 2011 8:07 PM PT
Missing Vancouver Island teen's cell phone recovered
Mounties on Vancouver Island say they are increasingly concerned about the welfare of a missing 18-year-old after her cell phone was discovered Sunday morning.
CTV News Video click here
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January 25, 2011
update on search...
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RCMP probe property in search for B.C. teen
Jan. 25, 2011 8:49 PM PT
snipped.....
Investigators concentrated their search Tuesday on a ravine property behind a home on Miller Road, the same block she was last seen in. The area was closed off by yellow police tape and forensic teams could be seen entering the area at mid-day.
Police told CTV News a member of the search team found an item that will be examined carefully by investigators, but would not say what it was.
"At this point until we determine what sort of investigation we have -- if its beyond a missing persons investigation -- we can't be specifically to what has been found there, which has caused the interest level to be increased," Cpl. Darren Lagan said.
More than 20 officers have been assigned to the case and are following up on any leads from the public.
Tyeshia's mother continues to hope her daughter will be found and says her disappearance is very out of character.
Read more
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Massive search for missing Duncan teen
Friends and family gathered today to pray for the safety of Tyeshia Jones
Jan 26, 2011 14:00:53 PM
DUNCAN (NEWS1130) - As friends and family pray for the safety of a missing Duncan teen, Mounties search wooded areas and waterways for any sign of Tyeshia Jones.
Corporal Kevin Day says a lot of man power has been put towards this search. "Three dozen police personnel out there conducting the ground search. In addition we also have the Cowichan Valley search and rescue team searching the river, the woods areas as well as the ravines in order to find Tyeshia."
Day says police dogs, RCMP air services and tactical troops are also assisting in the search.
He adds the family is quite worried. "It's out of character for her, and the longer the time goes on, obviously the more concern it causes for investigators. So we are treating this with the utmost importance. We're throwing all of our resources into this."
He says despite rumours, police aren't calling it a recovery mission.
Read more
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AFN and Cowichan Tribes Call for Public Assistance in Disappearance of Young Cowichan Woman Near Duncan, British Columbia
OTTAWA, Jan. 26 /CNW/ - Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum are appealing to the public for assistance in the search for Tyeshia Jones, an 18 year old citizen of Cowichan Tribes who was last heard from at 3 a.m. on Saturday, January 22.
It is believed Tyeshia was walking on August Road towards the Superstore in Duncan, British Columbia. Her cellphone was discovered on Sunday outside the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road. Tyeshia is described as a First Nations woman of 18 years of age, 5 foot 4 inches tall, 120 pounds with long black hair and braces on her teeth. She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
"We appeal to all Canadians who may be able to help in this matter to please come forward," stated AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo. "Everyone understands how precious our children are. The AFN is always concerned when we hear reports of missing First Nation women and girls because this happens far too often. The citizens and leadership of Cowichan Tribes are doing all they can to ensure Tyeshia returns home safely. We call on everyone to join us in this effort."
Chief Hwitsum noted that the community held a prayer circle at noon today.
"We need prayers and good thoughts for the family and community for a positive outcome," said Chief Hwitsum. "Our community is devastated and we need to draw back on our roots of support as a community and pull together in both good and bad times. We call on the public to assist in any way possible, by coming forward with information or offering to assist in the search efforts or just keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of Tyeshia. We want her back in the circle of our community as soon as possible"
Anyone with any information on this matter is urged to call the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522. A RCMP news release with photos of Tyeshia can be found at:
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=50&languageId=1&contentId=18382
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2011/26/c5637.html
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'We just want her home,' says family of missing Duncan teen
January 26, 2011 5:02 PM
The grieving mother of missing Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones greeted the fifth day of an extensive RCMP air and ground search for her daughter with a simple wish: We just want her home.
As RCMP search crews continued their exhaustive search Wednesday, Mary Jim said it’s getting harder for her family to face the uncertainty surrounding her daughter’s mysterious disappearance.
“It’s getting harder every day,” she said. “Sometimes I find myself just thinking too much . . . where’s my baby girl?”
The 18-year-old, described by family as shy and loving, was last seen early Saturday after leaving her friend’s house on Miller Road. She was supposed to spend the night, but left sometime before 3 a.m.
Her last confirmed contact was via a 3. a.m. text message to a boy she had agreed to meet at the Duncan Superstore. Police believe she was walking along August Road when she sent the message.
She never made it to the meeting.
Her cellphone was found the following day by a caretaker in a garden bed outside the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road. The school is in a secluded area near paths leading to the Superstore.
Jim told The Province she feels Tyeshia is in a bad place that she can’t get away from, perhaps surrounded by alcohol and or drugs. She said Tyeshia has never disappeared or run away in the past.
“She’s somewhere where she can’t pull herself away from,” said Jim. “I just feel there is drugs around her or alcohol or both ... she’s just struggling to get herself out of there.”
Cpl. Kevin Day said an estimated 30 officers, including forensic experts, K9 units as well as an RCMP helicopter, scoured Wednesday the wooded trails and ravines near the route Tyeshia was believed to have walked on Saturday.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/just+want+home+says+family+missing+Duncan+teen/4174046/story.html#ixzz1CDB1ldN2
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Searchers no closer to finding Tyeshia Jones
Thursday Jan. 27, 2011 4:50 PM PT
RCMP on Vancouver Island say they have exhausted their search effort in the area where 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was last seen.
Jones has been missing for six days after planning to meet a friend at a grocery store in Duncan late Friday night.
Her cell phone was found on the grounds of a nearby adult learning centre the next day.
Duncan Mounties say there are 40 officers assigned to the missing person's case and there is still no indication she was met with foul play.
Search and rescue crews, dog teams and a helicopter crew have spent the last few days scouring the area she was last seen.
The search was suspended briefly on Wednesday while forensic identification unit examined a ravine property on Miller Road, but investigators didn't find anything useful.
"As time goes on, pieces are coming together but there's not enough pieces that have fallen into place yet and we need that to happen soon," Cpl. Kevin Day said.
Police say they're still following up on leads they've found in their investigation, including leads from the public.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110127/bc_jones_update_110127/20110127?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
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RCMP hopeful they will find missing Duncan teen alive
January 28, 2011
Mary Jim, right, the mother of missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones,
holds a picture of her daughter Thursday at a community event arranged in aid of the search.
Photograph by: KEVIN ROTHBAUER, POSTMEDIA NEWS
From constant prayers and moral support to an extensive search involving no fewer than eight organizations, the Cowichan and Vancouver Island communities have come together to assist the family and friends of missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones.
Jones hasn't been seen or heard from since last Saturday morning, and countless hours have been devoted to bringing her home safely.
"We're coming together as a show of strength from our people," said Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum. "We'll do whatever we can to provide some hope and strength."
Hwitsum was speaking outside the Si'em Lelum hall on Wednesday, where members of Cowichan Tribes and the greater community had gathered to pray for Jones and for the many personnel involved in the search.
While hopes remained high for a safe return, the Chief acknowledged that the community knows that isn't guaranteed.
"There is clearly a sense of fear," said an emotional Hwitsum. "The mind races to many other possibilities and outcomes. But we want to stay positive."
Hwitsum feels concern not just as the Chief of Cowichan Tribes but also as a mother herself.
"I've raised two children, and my heart goes out to the family," she said.
Despite the overall concerns, Hwitsum was pleased with the community's outpouring of support.
"I'm proud and impressed with how the Cowichan people have come through," she said.
Not far away from where Hwitsum was speaking, search and rescue personnel and RCMP officers mustered to continue their efforts.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Cowichan Search and Rescue had been joined by colleagues from Saanich, Metchosin, Juan de Fuca, Nanaimo and Ladysmith, and a delegation from the Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization in Sidney was on its way, according to Christopher Comars of Cowichan Search and Rescue. Approximately 40 RCMP officers, including representation from Police Dog Services, Air Services, the Vancouver Island Tactical Team and Forensic and Major Crimes investigators, First Nations Community Police, plainclothes and uniformed officers from the local detachment were also involved in the search.
"I would venture to say there are over 100 people involved. People are basically working 24/7 in an effort to locate her," said Cpl. Kevin Day of the North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP detachment.
Efforts to locate Jones covered a specific area of interest near the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre on River Road, where her cell phone was found, and included searches on the Cowichan River in addition to the air and land investigations.
Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations was scheduled to fly out from Ottawa on Thursday to hold a press conference with Hwitsum to provide information and updates on the search. Out of respect for Jones's family, an appearance on Wednesday evening by Lieutenant Governor Steven Point, who was going to inspect a Cowichan Tribes cadets corps at the Si'em Lelum Gymnasium, was cancelled.
Day noted that First Nations Community Police officers were in constant contact with Jones's mother, Mary Jim, and her family. Police are remaining optimistic about the search.
"Everybody is hopeful," he said. "We are still treating her as a missing person. We don't have any evidence to suggest that she has met with foul play, and we are hopeful we will find her alive."
Jones was last heard from around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, when she sent a text message while walking on August Road. She had left a friend's house on the 5000 block of Miller Road around 2 a.m., and was believed to be heading for the Duncan Superstore to meet a friend.
She is described as a First Nations woman of 18 years of age, 5 foot 4 inches tall, 120 pounds with long black hair and braces on her teeth. She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black boots.
Anyone with information about Jones should contact the North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5222.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/RCMP+hopeful+they+will+find+missing+Duncan+teen+alive/4182056/story.html#ixzz1CL21TFMh
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Missing teenaged girl found dead Friday morning in woods near Duncan
"Shock has hit us,” said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim.
January 28, 2011 5:01 PM
Victoria, B.C. - The body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was found in a wooded area near Duncan Friday morning, bringing a tragic end to a week-long search and commencing a homicide investigation.
“Right now shock has hit us,” said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim.
Hearing that Jones was found dead after days of hoping she was alive was like getting kicked in the stomach, said Thorne.
“We’d all hoped that she would be fine, we’d all hoped she’d be in the best-case scenario instead of the worst,” he said. “At least now we’ll be able to bring her home one way or the other.”
The family is feeling a wide range of feelings, he said.
Jones was “a Cowichan Tribes bands member, a cousin to myself and a lot of other people but most of all she was a human being, a good Cowichan citizen,” Thorne said.
He commended the RCMP for their efforts in the search and investigation into Jones’ disappearance and death: “The RCMP are doing the best that they can and it’s in their capable hands that we lay this lady, this young girl.
“God bless these guys. They’ve been busting their butts day and night for the last seven days.”
The tribe is gathering for a 6 p.m. candlelight vigil, he said. It’s not yet clear if the family will attend.
“They’re waiting to hear when the body will be released for a proper burial,” Thorne said.
Nothing in recent memory has affected the tribe like this, he said.
He urges people with information on Jones’ death to come forward.
“Somebody knows something and hopefully somebody will say something,” said Thorne.
“It takes time for somebody to grow the courage and say ‘You know, I think I better tell the truth,’” he added. “They have to live with whatever is on their conscience. Time will be a factor.”
The body was found near the Shaker Church cemetery, near a gravel access road.
The family is grateful for the support they’ve received from the community, he said.
“I know the mother and sister and brother will be grieving but in their hearts they are ever so grateful for all the people who have been and are supportive,” Thorne said.
The cause of death has not been released and is under investigation by the B.C. Coroners Service.
Jones went missing at 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after she left a residence on Miller Road and was reported to be walking to meet a friend at the SuperStore. She never arrived. Her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
A team of RCMP forensic identification officers have cordoned off the area where the body was located and are gathering evidence.
“Investigators are very conscious of the impact this discovery will have on the community,” said Cpl. Kevin Day in a press release.
“We assure the public that every necessary resource from across Vancouver Island is working to advance this investigation. We will update the community with further details as the investigation permits.”
Chief Lydia Hwitsum of Cowichan Tribes referred media enquiries to the RCMP.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Missing+teenaged+girl+found+dead+Friday+morning+woods+near+Duncan/4187637/story.html#ixzz1CNqWyJD3
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Search for Tyeshia Jones ends in tragedy
The search for 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones has ended in tragedy.
Police have just announced a woman’s body was discovered in a wooded area off of Indian Road shortly after 11 a.m. Friday.
“The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the RCMP Forensic Identification Section are actively investigating the scene of this discovery,” RCMP Cpl. Kevin Day said in a media release this afternoon.
“Investigators believe this is the body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones.”
Foul play is suspected, and official confirmation of identity and cause of death is pending.
Jones’ family has been notified, Day added, and officers are with them at this time.
Read more
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Do you know what happened to Tyeshia Jones?
January 28, 2011 7:00 PM
RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan and Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum urge anyone with any information about the disappearance and death of Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones to call police immediately at 250-748-5522.
Police and the family of Tyeshia Jones implore anyone with information about what happened to the Duncan teen to come forward immediately.
The body of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was discovered in a wooded area near the Indian Road cemetery on Friday morning.
Jones went missing after leaving a party on Miller Road in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 22, and full-scale RCMP and Search and Rescue effort began on Monday.
Now instead of searching for Jones, police are hunting whoever is responsible for her tragic death.
“We assure the public and the Cowichan Tribes community that we are doing absolutely everything we can to identify who is responsible for Tyeshia’s death,” RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
“We also have to make an appeal to the public. Our experience in cases such as this is that somebody or some people know what happened. This is the time to come forward. There is a family in absolute agony right now, and a community feeling that agony. You need to do what you can to help investigators.”
Lagan urged anyone with information about Tyeshia’s disappearance and death to call the local RCMP detachment at 250-748-5522, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Meanwhile, more than two-dozen investigators from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and the Duncan RMCP, as well as specialized RCMP resources from across the island, are working on the file.
“People can expect to see an increased RCMP and police presence around the valley in the days to come, especially in the Indian/Miller Road area,” Lagan said. “We have a very large area to search and we’re going to ask people to be patient if they’re stopped or redirected. This is the most important of investigations and we are going to do everything possible to make sure nothing is missed.”
Lagan admitted the search for more information and evidence is a complicated one, given where Jones’ body was discovered.
“This is a very complex area as far as the geographic and the ground terrain,” he explained. “It’s densely wooded and it’s a large area. We do not expect this to be finished today. We expect this will take several days, if not longer, to complete.”
The B.C. Coroners Service had yet to determine Jones’ cause of death by Friday afternoon, but police suspect foul play.
“I know that’s a difficult thing to hear,” said Lagan, “but I think we need to be open and honest with the community and encourage them to help us. This is a very serious and complex investigation and we need their help.”
Jones’ body was discovered as part of a methodical grid search by Search and Rescue technicians.
“They are the experts in identifying an area, literally putting a grid to that map and then working it methodically,” Lagan said. “This was an area slated to be examined today as the search expanded, and shortly after they arrived and commenced the search in that area they located the body.”
The weeklong, large-scale search effort puts investigators in a better position now, Lagan added.
“We’re not working behind now. We are ahead because we’ve been doing so much up to this point and that’s going to be an asset to the investigation,” he said. “The family felt something wasn’t right; the community felt something wasn’t right, and that translated into us feeling something wasn’t right, and we proceeded in that sense.”
Members of the Vancouver Island RCMP Tactical Troop hit the ground again Saturday to continue canvassing efforts, but Lagan stressed the key role of the community in the investigation.
“This will be a community effort,” he said. “Information, tips, any support people can offer, we welcome.”
Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum echoed the call for public assistance.
“I just came from the family and they’re struck by this tragedy and they’re feeling a lot of pain,” Hwitsum said.
The chief also thanked all those who participated in the search effort to locate Jones, a recent graduate of the Yuthuythut Adult Learning Centre.
“It’s the worst possible outcome we could have had in the search,” said Hwitsum, “and at the same time we acknowledge all the efforts of the community, and call on the community to do whatever we can toward a sense of safety amongst our people in our community in this valley.”
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/114841189.html
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'My angel … she was my whole world'
January 29, 2011
The mother of slain 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones spoke Saturday of her heartbreak over losing her “angel.”
“She was my whole world and she still is,” Mary Jim said in an interview. “She is my angel. I always called her my African queen — because she was mixed black and native.”
Jones’s body was found Friday in a wood near Duncan after a week-long police search.
Jim said her heart has been ripped in half, but paid tribute to the support she has received from her family, friends and community.
“Without them, there’s no telling where I would be,” Jim said. “I want to be with Tyeshia but my job is not done here. I have three other kids to take care of. I do love her and I’m going to miss her a lot.”
She and her daughter were very close, Jim said, and could discuss anything with one another — even boys.
Jones, a member of the Cowichan Tribes, disappeared about 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a home on Miller Road to meet a male friend at the Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
Jones was not allowed out at that time of night, her mother said. “As a parent raising a young female child, I just encourage the teenagers today to start paying better attention to parents,” Jim said. “Tyeshia made this mistake one time and that’s all it took.”
Jim’s former husband and Jones’s father, Calvin Jones, who named his daughter, arrived in Duncan from Washington state Saturday. “I miss her and I wish she was here,” he said.
“There will be justice, whether it be up above or right here, but there will be justice done.”
Read more
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Tyeshia Jones case: RCMP warn residents after body found in B.C.
January 30, 2011
VICTORIA - Just a day after the body of a woman believed to be a missing 18-year-old girl was found in a wooded area in Duncan, B.C., police are warning residents to be extra cautious - suggesting people walk in groups, or take public transit, a taxi or a car.
The RCMP has expanded its investigation into the likely murder of Tyeshia Jones, adding 14 more officers and fanning out to talk to anyone in the region with information on the case.
As tactical troops knocked on doors, a forensic identification team scoured the area where the body was found, six days after Jones had disappeared.
The police search Saturday involved the examination of tire marks around the Shaker Church cemetery, close to the site of the body's discovery. In all, more than 50 investigators from southern Vancouver Island are working on the investigation, and two command posts have been set up in the search area.
"The police are all over the place," said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim. "I know they are going to find this person or persons."
Jones had disappeared around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend's house to meet another friend at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found in a planter on Cowichan Tribes land.
Police have not revealed how she died, or whether she was killed elsewhere. An autopsy, set for Monday, is expected to confirm the cause of her death. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan said search-and-rescue technicians will rejoin the investigation Sunday or Monday - this time to hunt for items linked to the disappearance and murder.
"Obviously, we're looking for anything that would be a clue or a piece of evidence in relation to Tyeshia's death."
As investigators are unable to say whether the killing was targeted or random, though police advised the public to take extra safety precautions.
"We don't want to create a sense of panic but, at the same time, people need to think about that for the next little while until we can get some answers for them," Lagan said.
Thorne said rumours are already circulating, dividing the community - with a population of about 5,000 - in the same way that the search brought it together. "Everyone's under suspicion, no matter who you are or where you come from," he said.
Read more
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Only locals would know wooded area where Duncan, B.C. teen’s body was found: Cousin
January 31, 2011
VICTORIA — The remote spot in Duncan, B.C., where the body of a woman believed to be missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones was found is an area only local residents are likely to know, a family member of the young victim says.
“Because of where she was brought, there’s no way a stranger would know that area — no way,” Joe Thorne, a cousin of the victim, said Sunday. “But again, that’s just my opinion.”
Jones likely was killed elsewhere and brought to the location where her body was found, said Thorne, who is also a Duncan city councillor.
The place where her body was found — a wooded area near the Shaker Church cemetery — was already searched prior to the discovery of her body, Thorne said, though the RCMP have not confirmed this.
Jones had disappeared around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend’s house to meet another friend at a grocery store. She never arrived.
“She got caught up in the wrong spot at the wrong time,” said her grieving mother, Mary Jim.
The RCMP have not said how Jones died, but an autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
Jim said she still imagines her daughter coming home. “(She’d) smile, give me a hug and say, ‘Sorry.’ ”
And, her mother said, the teen was not allowed out at that time of night; Jones made a “one-time mistake” and paid with her life, Jim said.
Jones was planning a career as a hairstylist or a model — something in the beauty or fashion industries, said her father, Calvin Jones.
“She always wanted to be pretty much perfect,” her father said, noting she was always smiling. “She would smile to make me smile.”
Jim agreed that her daughter always ensured she looked good before she stepped out the door.
“She took care of herself. She wasn’t being conceited. She was just confident in who she was.”
More than 50 investigators from southern Vancouver Island are involved in the probe into the death.
And police — who have been unable to say whether the killing was targeted or random — have advised the public to take extra safety precautions, suggesting that Duncan’s residents walk in groups or take public transit, a taxi or a car.
“We don’t want to create a sense of panic but, at the same time, people need to think about that for the next little while until we can get some answers for them,” said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan.
http://www.canada.com/news/Only+locals+would+know+wooded+area+where+Duncan+teen+body+found+Cousin/4198022/story.html
-------------------------------------
January 31, 2011
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No suspects in slaying of Duncan teen, RCMP say
February 1, 2011
An autopsy Monday confirmed 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones of Duncan was the victim of a homicide. No one has been arrested for the slaying.
B.C. Coroners Service has determined the cause of death, but the RCMP is not releasing this.
“There has been hundreds of people who we’ve spoken to, but we have no suspects at this time,” said Island district RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan.
He would not say where police believe Jones was killed, whether sexual assault was a factor or whether a weapon has been recovered. He said it’s unclear whether this was a random or targeted attack.
“We haven’t been able to answer some of the important questions on this investigation,” Lagan said. “And until we do, we ask the public to exercise extra vigilance for their public safety.”
Investigators have finished gathering evidence from the area where Jones was found on Friday morning, in a wooded area on Cowichan Tribes land near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road.
Jones went missing around 3 a.m. Jan. 22 after she left a friend’s residence on Miller Road. She had arranged to meet an older male friend at the Superstore on the Island Highway but never arrived.
Cowichan Tribes Chief Lydia Hwitsum confirmed that her 22-year-old son, Josh, was supposed to meet Jones at the Superstore.
The two had been at the party together that night but somehow became separated, Hwitsum said.
She said she doesn’t know why the two decided to meet at the Superstore, about a half-hour walk from where the party was held. Josh had borrowed a bike from someone at the party to meet her, she said.
“[Jones] had called and he had gone down to try and meet her — and she didn’t show up,” Hwitsum said. “When he saw she wasn’t there, he looked around, waited, and went back to the place where he borrowed the bike.”
Hwitsum said her son and Jones had been friends for about a year, mostly chatting on Facebook.
“He’s having a really hard time, of course,” Hwitsum said. “He’s just thinking, ‘Why didn’t I go further or look farther?’ ”
Hwitsum said her son has turned his cellphone in to the police.
Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and a cousin of Jones, said that in addition to the man she was going to meet, there was a “clique” of about four other males in the area at the time she disappeared.
He said the remote spot where she was found is an area only local residents would know.
“Because of where she was brought, there’s no way a stranger would know that area — no way,” said Thorne, who is also a Duncan city councillor.
He said he believes Jones was killed elsewhere and brought to the location where her body was found. Volunteers from the tribe had already searched that area days before her body was discovered, Thorne said.
Lagan said the first time police searched the area was Friday morning.
“Upon commencing that search, a short time later her body was found.”
Lagan said progress is being made by the more than 50 police officers investigating the killing.
The community has rallied around Jones’s family, said Duncan Mayor Phil Kent.
Close to 1,500 people are expected to take part in Take Back the Night — A Walk for Tyeshia Jones set for downtown Duncan on Feb. 18.
Duncan organizer Jeff Leggat said he’s overwhelmed with the response to a Facebook posting advertising the walk.
Anyone who wants to volunteer for the event can reach Leggat through email at lufajones1@hotmail.com.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/suspects+slaying+Duncan+teen+RCMP/4200062/story.html#ixzz1CkwVNqf0
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Hundreds gather for funeral of slain Duncan teenager
February 4, 2011 12:52 PM
DUNCAN — The body of 18-year-old murder victim Tyeshia Jones was laid to rest at St. Ann’s Church cemetery Friday morning following a funeral service filled to capacity at Si’em Lelum Gym on River Road in Duncan.
“It’s a very sad morning, very sorrowful, very somber,” said Cowichan Tribes spokeswoman Jenn George from outside the gym. “I think the family is overwhelmed by the support.”
The capacity at Si’em Lelum Gym is 800 people, George said, but upwards of 1,300 people arrived to pay their respects.
“We were having to say to people that there’s just no longer room,” George said. “Parking lots are full, some people came just to make donations of food or money.”
Cowichan Tribes has helped the family set up a trust fund to create a reward for information leading to the person responsible for killing Jones.
George said even more support was expected during a special lunch Friday afternoon. “There have been cooks in the kitchen for days.”
As of midday Friday, police had no new information about the search for the person or people who killed Jones. The 18-year-old went missing around 3 a.m. Jan. 22 after she left a friend’s residence on Miller Road. She had arranged to meet an older male friend at the Superstore on the Island Highway but never arrived.
Her body was found Friday, Jan. 28 in a wooded area on Cowichan Tribes land near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road.
Anyone with information should contact Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Meanwhile, the community continues to band together in an effort to come to terms with the death of their loved one.
Read more
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Investigators confident murder will be solved
February 11, 2011
A RCMP forensic response unit began looking for clues around the
site of the First Nations cemetery on Indian Road, on Saturday, Jan. 29,
the day after the body of Tyeshia Jones was discovered.
Who killed Tyeshia Jones?
It’s the question on virtually everybody’s mind — and we may have an answer soon.
“We’re still not at a point where we can speak to a suspect or suspects in relation to the murder, but we’re certainly making progress in the investigation,” RCMP Cpl. Darren Lagan said Thursday morning.
“Investigators are very confident this murder will be solved, and that we’ll be able to bring those answers to the community in the near future.”
Jones, 18, was first reported missing on Jan. 22 when she disappeared after a party on Miller Road.
Her body was discovered in the woods near the Indian Road cemetery on Jan. 28.
Speculation and rumours have been swirling in the community since then, but police are dealing in facts.
“We’re at the point of analyzing all the information and evidence that’s been gathered, and we’re still continuing to gather more,” Lagan said. “That’s how these investigations progress — we gather evidence, examine it and put it all together to determine the person or persons responsible.”
Forensic work is happening in a Vancouver lab, tech work is being done in Victoria, and on-the-ground work continues in Duncan.
A core team of about 35 investigators — from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, Duncan RCMP and Forensic Identification Unit — has been working steadily on the investigation.
Along the way, help has come from the local First Nation Policing Section, Victim Services, the RCMP’s tactical troop, Search and Rescue technicians from all over the island, as well as RCMP air and dog services.
All evidence and information is seen by one officer with the major crime unit, and a Duncan Mountie.
“They literally see everything and are knowledgeable about everything to do with the investigation,” Lagan explained.
“They make the decisions as to what direction the investigation goes … and the last I spoke to them, both indicated they were making progress and were very satisfied with how things were moving along.”
Community support has also been significant, Lagan noted.
“We definitely feel in this case where the community is as committed to solving this crime, and cares as much as we do in seeing it solved,” he said. “That’s very important in any investigation and we definitely have it in this case.”
READ MORE
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Duncan teen murder probe heads south
February 14, 2011
RCMP has sought the help of Seattle Police in finding Seattle resident
David Tommy, 23, as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones.
The RCMP has asked Seattle police to help them reach a man that murdered teen Tyeshia Jones sent her photographs to several days before she disappeared.
The family of the 18-year-old victim say the young man police are seeking, David Tommy of Spokane, was a family friend.
Tommy has not been charged in the case.
Jones disappeared after 3:39 a.m. on Jan. 22 after leaving a friend’s house to meet a man at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found on Cowichan Tribes land.
Court records say on Jan. 20, close to midnight, Jones sent photos of herself to Tommy’s cellphone.
Tommy is believed to be from the Duncan area and knows the parents of Jones, said Joe Thorne, a Cowichan Tribes elder and cousin of the victim. A search of various social media sites shows Tommy is connected to a number of Cowichan Tribe youth.
Thorne said in talking with the victim’s father, Seattle man Calvin Jones, he learned that Tyeshia recently “had planned to go stay with [her father in Seattle] for a while.”
Thorne said he knows Tommy’s family, but has never met David Tommy.
“I am from Canada and graduated High School. Don’t know what to do with my life yet, but I plan on doing something,” Tommy says on MySpace. He lists his age as 23. In profile pictures he poses making gang and gun signs.
The RCMP asked Seattle police to apply for a court order to access subscriber information for Tommy’s number, an application filed on Feb. 4.
The RCMP will not comment on the investigation or say whether they have any persons of interest, but 35 officers are “making great progress,” said Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Thorne said a candlelight vigil is planned for Friday for Jones and another murdered woman, Karrie Ann Stone. Last year Stone’s burnt body was found about a kilometre from the densely wooded area where Jones was found, Thorne said.
Some in the community are worried a serial killer might be at work, Thorne said.
“I’m hoping that anything [Seattle police] do find will pretty much tie the Karrie Ann Stone case with it as well,” he said.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Duncan+teen+murder+probe+heads+south/4281603/story.html#ixzz1Dz2P0n8I
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[left]snipped.....
RCMP have asked Seattle police to send them the phone records of a man to whom Tyeshia Jones sent her photographs several days before she disappeared and was killed.
Relatives of the 18-year-old victim said the young man, David Tommy of Spokane, is a family friend.
Tommy has not been charged in the case.
Police said the request for the phone records is a routine part of their investigation into the homicide.
Jones disappeared early Jan. 22 after leaving a friend's house to meet a man at the Duncan Superstore. She never arrived and her cellphone was later found on Cowichan Tribes land.
Court records say that on Jan. 20, close to midnight, Jones sent photos of herself to Tommy's cellphone.
. . . . . The RCMP have asked the Seattle police to apply for a court order giving them access to subscriber information for Tommy's phone number, says an application filed on Feb. 4.
The RCMP will not comment on the investigation or say whether they have any persons of interest, but 35 officers are "making great progress," said Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Read more
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Officers 'won't sleep' until killer found
February 18, 2011
The murder of 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones has hit her family, friends, and the community hard, but has also affected the investigators working on the case.
"I have members that won't sleep until we solve this crime," North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP Insp. Kevin Hewco said Wednesday. "They've taken it very personally."
On Thursday morning Vancouver Island RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan confirmed 35 officers are still actively investigating the homicide, including those from the Victoria Police Department as well as the RCMP.
"Not only are there the Duncan resources from the General Investigation Section there but there's also Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit," Lagan said. "They've put in a lot of time and effort."
While officers are mustering from all corners of the Island, support from civilians is also palpable.
Read more
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Reward raised to catch Duncan teen's killer
February 28, 2011
A fundraiser for murdered Duncan teen Tyeshia Jones collected more than $6,000 on Sunday, which will go toward a reward to catch her killer. A silent auction held at the Quwutsun Cultural & Conference Centre drew more than 100 people who bid on prizes donated by dozens of local businesses, organizer Lena Williams said. Jones, 18, went missing in the early morning hours of Jan. 22. Her body was found Jan. 28 in a wooded area near Duncan.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Reward+raised+catch+Duncan+teen+killer/4362980/story.html
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Police sift evidence in murder probes
March 11, 2011
A team of 25 investigators is sifting through what police have described as "a mountain of information" to uncover just who is responsible for the murder of Duncan's Tyeshia Jones.
Every piece of evidence and every tip needs to be followed up by investigators, and that process takes time-- especially given the vast amount of information being obtained in the case, said Vancouver Island RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan on Tuesday
"We currently have exceeded 1,000 investigative tasks," he said.
Lagan explained that every single tidbit of knowledge police unearth or are given with regard to the case is assigned a task number. Police then follow up on each and every task, which can include anything from interviewing people to extracting information from an email or cell phone and more.
Every lead needs to be looked into, Lagan said.
The Vancouver Island integrated major crime unit and North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, assisted by RCMP 'E' Division's serious crime and criminal investigation units are continuing to actively probe the homicide.
"The investigational team remains very confident this case will be solved," Lagan said.
Read more
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Reward offered in Tyeshia's murder
March 17, 2011
Angela Carpenter and the rest of Tyeshia Jones’ loved ones urge
anyone with information about Jones’ murder to call police immediately.
If putting a killer behind bars wasn’t enough of an incentive, the friends and family of Tyeshia Jones are now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever’s responsible for her murder.
“Every last cent has come from donations and from the community,” said family friend Angela Carpenter.
And the reward money total continues to rise as more fundraisers are planned, such as Saturday’s youth dance at Island Savings Centre.
For the friends and family of Jones, who was 18 when she was killed in January, all that matters now is justice.
“It won’t bring (our) baby girl back, but it will give us some closure,” Carpenter said.
Anyone with information about Tyeshia Jones’ murder is urged to call the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522. All tips will be kept confidential.
Read more
Last edited by karma on Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:39 am; edited 25 times in total
karma- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 ~ Duncan BC - 1
by TomTerrific0420 Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:31 pm
INVESTIGATION INTO MURDER OF DUNCAN TEEN STRETCHES INTO WASHINGTON STATE
Feb 14, 2011
RCMP SAY PART OF THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE MURDER OF DUNCAN TEEN TYESHIA JONES HAS STRETCHED INTO WASHINGTON STATE
AS /A\ NEWS REPORTS, POLICE HAVE NOT NAMED ANY SUSPECTS AS OF YET
POLICE SAY IT APPEARS AS THOUGH SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE JONES WENT
MISSING SHE HAD CELL PHONE COMMUNICATION WITH A YOUNG MAN IN WASHINGTON
STATE. CORPORAL DARREN LAGAN SAYS POLICE WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS MAN IS
NOT BEING CONSIDERED A SUSPECT
"at this point we have not identified any individual as a suspect in
this murder investigation. We are making significant progress, still
have 35 investigators working this file, but have not yet released any
identities"
JONES' BODY WAS DISCOVERED JANUARY 28TH ON COWICHAN TRIBES LAND AFTER SHE HAD BEEN MISSING FOR A WEEK.
Feb 14, 2011
RCMP SAY PART OF THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE MURDER OF DUNCAN TEEN TYESHIA JONES HAS STRETCHED INTO WASHINGTON STATEAS /A\ NEWS REPORTS, POLICE HAVE NOT NAMED ANY SUSPECTS AS OF YET
POLICE SAY IT APPEARS AS THOUGH SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE JONES WENT
MISSING SHE HAD CELL PHONE COMMUNICATION WITH A YOUNG MAN IN WASHINGTON
STATE. CORPORAL DARREN LAGAN SAYS POLICE WANT TO STRESS THAT THIS MAN IS
NOT BEING CONSIDERED A SUSPECT
"at this point we have not identified any individual as a suspect in
this murder investigation. We are making significant progress, still
have 35 investigators working this file, but have not yet released any
identities"
JONES' BODY WAS DISCOVERED JANUARY 28TH ON COWICHAN TRIBES LAND AFTER SHE HAD BEEN MISSING FOR A WEEK.
TomTerrific0420- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
- Job/hobbies : Searching for Truth and Justice
Re: CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
by karma Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:59 pm
RCMP North Cowichan\Duncan
Update on Tyeshia JONES Homicide
April 27, 2011
Major Crime officers continue to actively investigate the murder of Tyeshia Jones. The public continue to provide important information to investigators, who are tirelessly following up on each and every tip.
“Our officers are very focused in their investigation, and assure the public that significant progress is being made towards capturing Tyeshia’s killer”, states Cpl. Darren Lagan, spokesperson for the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
A substantial number of resources remain devoted to the case, including officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan Detachment GIS, Lower Mainland Major Crime, and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
Well meaning individuals in the community have been sharing tips and information on this case directly with Tyeshia’s family, leading to additional stress for them. Police remind the public that information on this case should be given directly to the police.
“We want to remind the public to contact our team directly at the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, if they have any information that may help solve this crime”, states Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Request for Media and Public Support:
Police continue to search for multiple personal items belonging to Tyeshia, believed to be in her possession at the time of her disappearance. The attached photo was taken by a friend on the night Tyeshia disappeared.
The following is an itemized list of outstanding items Tyeshia is believed to have had in her possession:
• An extra small black colored Adidas sweat shirt with hood
• A small sized black tank top with a white stripe on the bottom with built in white cotton under-wire bra
• Size 7 flat soled fabric boots (mid-calf height)
• Size 23 blue denim jeans with white stitching
• A black leather purse with a shoulder strap with a leather tassel attached to it. Inside the purse were some belongings of Tyeshia including an Ipod Nano. The Ipod Nano was a model with a smaller screen, the body was blue and the head set was a Sony brand with white cords and blue ear buds. The ear buds had grey rubber ear pads. On the back of the IPOD there was a yellow sticker of a cat’s head.
Police need the support and assistance of the community and media in spreading this information. If you have seen any of these items, or know who may be in possession of them, contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP immediately at 250-748-5522.
Until investigators are able to answer all the questions surrounding Tyeshia’s murder, the community is reminded to remain conscious of their personal safety. Now, and always, simple precautions are recommended.
• Walk in a group whenever possible
• Use public transit or taxis
• Choose a path that keeps you on well lit roadways
• Let others know where you are going, and when you plan to arrive
• If you see suspicious activity, or feel unsafe due to the actions of others, call for help
Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Update on Tyeshia JONES Homicide
April 27, 2011
Major Crime officers continue to actively investigate the murder of Tyeshia Jones. The public continue to provide important information to investigators, who are tirelessly following up on each and every tip.
“Our officers are very focused in their investigation, and assure the public that significant progress is being made towards capturing Tyeshia’s killer”, states Cpl. Darren Lagan, spokesperson for the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
A substantial number of resources remain devoted to the case, including officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan Detachment GIS, Lower Mainland Major Crime, and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
Well meaning individuals in the community have been sharing tips and information on this case directly with Tyeshia’s family, leading to additional stress for them. Police remind the public that information on this case should be given directly to the police.
“We want to remind the public to contact our team directly at the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, if they have any information that may help solve this crime”, states Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Request for Media and Public Support:
Police continue to search for multiple personal items belonging to Tyeshia, believed to be in her possession at the time of her disappearance. The attached photo was taken by a friend on the night Tyeshia disappeared.
The following is an itemized list of outstanding items Tyeshia is believed to have had in her possession:
• An extra small black colored Adidas sweat shirt with hood
• A small sized black tank top with a white stripe on the bottom with built in white cotton under-wire bra
• Size 7 flat soled fabric boots (mid-calf height)
• Size 23 blue denim jeans with white stitching
• A black leather purse with a shoulder strap with a leather tassel attached to it. Inside the purse were some belongings of Tyeshia including an Ipod Nano. The Ipod Nano was a model with a smaller screen, the body was blue and the head set was a Sony brand with white cords and blue ear buds. The ear buds had grey rubber ear pads. On the back of the IPOD there was a yellow sticker of a cat’s head.
Police need the support and assistance of the community and media in spreading this information. If you have seen any of these items, or know who may be in possession of them, contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP immediately at 250-748-5522.
Until investigators are able to answer all the questions surrounding Tyeshia’s murder, the community is reminded to remain conscious of their personal safety. Now, and always, simple precautions are recommended.
• Walk in a group whenever possible
• Use public transit or taxis
• Choose a path that keeps you on well lit roadways
• Let others know where you are going, and when you plan to arrive
• If you see suspicious activity, or feel unsafe due to the actions of others, call for help
Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
karma- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
Re: CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
by karma Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:16 am
April 27, 2011
karma- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
Re: CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
by karma Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:55 am
Police name suspect in Duncan murders
April 22, 2012
Tyeshia Jones' mother Mary Jim pictured at a press conference after police arrested 24-year-old William Gordon Robert Elliott Friday afternoon
and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Karrie Ann Stone, 42, and Tyeshia Jones, 18.
Photograph by: Darren Stone , timescolonist.com (April 2012)
The mothers of two slain Duncan women spoke to the public Saturday after learning about the arrest of the man suspected of killing their daughters.
Police arrested 24-year-old William Gordon Robert Elliott Friday afternoon and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Karrie Ann Stone, 42, and Tyeshia Jones, 18.
A crowd of friends, family and members of the community packed a room at the Duncan Fire Hall to hear the announcement and to listen to the grieving mothers, who spoke briefly with news media.
People were shocked to learn that Elliott was a member of the Cowichan band and known to Jones's family.
Her mother, Mary Jim, said her relatives suspected Elliott even before he was arrested. Aside from the pain both mothers feel, they want to forgive the man accused of killing their daughters.
"I want to one day forgive him for what he took from me and my family," Jim said.
The two vicious killings took place within seven months of each other. Stone's burned body was found on July 12, 2010, the same day she was reported missing by her mother, Bev Stone.
Jones was killed on Jan. 22, 2011, some time after she left a friend's party on Miller Road. Six days after she was reported missing, searchers found her naked body in a wooded area near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road on Cowichan Tribes land.
The communities of Duncan and the Cowichan Tribes can begin healing, said the mothers.
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April 22, 2012
Tyeshia Jones' mother Mary Jim pictured at a press conference after police arrested 24-year-old William Gordon Robert Elliott Friday afternoon
and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Karrie Ann Stone, 42, and Tyeshia Jones, 18.
Photograph by: Darren Stone , timescolonist.com (April 2012)
The mothers of two slain Duncan women spoke to the public Saturday after learning about the arrest of the man suspected of killing their daughters.
Police arrested 24-year-old William Gordon Robert Elliott Friday afternoon and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Karrie Ann Stone, 42, and Tyeshia Jones, 18.
A crowd of friends, family and members of the community packed a room at the Duncan Fire Hall to hear the announcement and to listen to the grieving mothers, who spoke briefly with news media.
People were shocked to learn that Elliott was a member of the Cowichan band and known to Jones's family.
Her mother, Mary Jim, said her relatives suspected Elliott even before he was arrested. Aside from the pain both mothers feel, they want to forgive the man accused of killing their daughters.
"I want to one day forgive him for what he took from me and my family," Jim said.
The two vicious killings took place within seven months of each other. Stone's burned body was found on July 12, 2010, the same day she was reported missing by her mother, Bev Stone.
Jones was killed on Jan. 22, 2011, some time after she left a friend's party on Miller Road. Six days after she was reported missing, searchers found her naked body in a wooded area near the Shaker Church cemetery off Indian Road on Cowichan Tribes land.
The communities of Duncan and the Cowichan Tribes can begin healing, said the mothers.
READ MORE
karma- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
Re: CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
by karma Sun May 27, 2012 2:03 pm
Murder victims' families in court for first appearance of accused
May 23, 2012
The first court date for the man charged with the murders of Karrie Ann Stone and Tyeshia Jones was brief, and didn't even include an appearance by the accused.
William Gordon Robert Elliott was arrested on April 20 in connection with the murders that took place in July 2010 and January 2011. He remains in custody and was expected to appear in Duncan provincial court by video conference on Tuesday, but his lawyer, Scott W. Sheets, asked to have that date moved to next month.
Elliott's next appearance is now set for Tuesday, June 26. The mothers of both victims were at the courthouse, along with dozens of supporters. Jones's mother, Mary Jim, had hoped to lay eyes on the man accused of killing her daughter.
"I wanted to see if he did have any emotion, for what he has done, taking two lives," she said.
While she said that "every day is hard," dealing with the loss of her 18-year-old daughter, she understands that delays are not uncommon in the court system.
"Everything has a reason," she said.
"I've waited a year and three months already."
Read More
May 23, 2012
The first court date for the man charged with the murders of Karrie Ann Stone and Tyeshia Jones was brief, and didn't even include an appearance by the accused.
William Gordon Robert Elliott was arrested on April 20 in connection with the murders that took place in July 2010 and January 2011. He remains in custody and was expected to appear in Duncan provincial court by video conference on Tuesday, but his lawyer, Scott W. Sheets, asked to have that date moved to next month.
Elliott's next appearance is now set for Tuesday, June 26. The mothers of both victims were at the courthouse, along with dozens of supporters. Jones's mother, Mary Jim, had hoped to lay eyes on the man accused of killing her daughter.
"I wanted to see if he did have any emotion, for what he has done, taking two lives," she said.
While she said that "every day is hard," dealing with the loss of her 18-year-old daughter, she understands that delays are not uncommon in the court system.
"Everything has a reason," she said.
"I've waited a year and three months already."
Read More
karma- Supreme Commander of the Universe With Cape AND Tights AND Fancy Headgear
Re: CANADA • Tyeshia JONES, 18 /Accused: William Gordon Robert Elliott ~ Duncan BC
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