Trottier went missing in December 2020
CBC Indigenous: Saskatoon police say they have found Mackenzie Lee Trottier’s remains at the Saskatoon landfill after months of searching.
Trottier, then 22, went missing in December 2020. The search for her body at the landfill began on May 1 and extended well beyond the initial 33-day timeframe.
Police Chief Cameron McBride said at a news conference Tuesday that searchers recovered partial remains on July 30 and then made the full recovery on Aug. 1.
He said an autopsy was performed and the cause of death is still undetermined, but the coroner will continue investigating.
“For 93 days police and purpose-trained dogs methodically searched a calculated area of the landfill, for evidence relevant to the Mackenzie Lee Trottier missing person investigation,” McBride said.
Trottier’s father Paul thanked all the people and organizations who worked tirelessly during the search.
“Today, we have the answers we were searching for,” he said. “You are forever etched in our hearts.… Mackenzie is home.”
Police say the person suspected in Trottier’s death is now also dead. They did not reveal the suspect’s identity but said he was a male who knew Trottier. They did not divulge more details about the relationship.
They said the suspect died in an unrelated drug-overdose incident before evidence against him could be obtained. No other suspects are being considered.
A search of the suspect’s phone after his death led police to believe Trottier’s remains were at the landfill. Police said the suspect did online searches for garbage pickup schedules and GPS showed he didn’t leave his home during that time either.
Forensic anthropologist Ernie Walker gives details on the search that ended with police finding the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier. (Liam Richards/The Canadian Press)
GPS data from garbage trucks was then used to determine the general area of the landfill to search. Forensic anthropologist Ernie Walker said it was still difficult to find the remains, because things taken to the landfill are then moved around by heavy equipment.
Walker said having a concrete pad allowed searchers to lay everything on a flat surface to look through.
“As it turned out, the facilities at the dump were perfect for a search like this, especially a concrete pad on which the actual search could occur,” he said.
Police say searchers went through approximately 5,000 tonnes of garbage over the course of 93 days of searching. The cost of the search is estimated at $1.5 million.
- Saskatoon police extend timeline on landfill search for Mackenzie Lee Trottier
- Police begin searching Saskatoon landfill in case of woman missing since 2020
When the landfill search began, Trottier’s father Paul said that while it was about his daughter, it was also about all missing people.
“That’s what I want people to remember,” he said. “This is a family, this is a human being. All missing people, no matter what their past is, they’re human beings, and they deserve our attention.”
Police recover missing woman’s remains from Saskatoon landfill
WATCH | Mackenzie Trottier’s father speaks about the long, trying and tiring journey his family is on: 23 hours ago, Duration 5:11
On Tuesday, the Saskatoon Police Service announced that human remains were found at the Saskatoon landfill and confirmed through dental records to be that of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who was last seen in December 2020.
Investigators originally identified an area that is 930 cubic metres, but expanded the search area three times.
“I knew probably about a week beforehand that I think we were getting close and my colleagues did as well. These kinds of big searches of landfills are not commonly successful,” Walker said. “This one worked out. It was meant to be.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aishwarya Dudha, Reporter
Aishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She has previously worked for Global News and the Times of India. She specializes in immigration, justice issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She can be reached at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca