Today marks 31 years since the disappearance of Roxanne Thiara, a 15-year-old girl whose life was tragically cut short along the notorious Highway of Tears.
Born in Manitoba and raised in Quesnel, BC, Roxanne spent much of her childhood under the care of her legal guardian, Mildred Thiara. Despite a happy start, Roxanne’s teenage years were marked by challenges, including struggles with school attendance, time in youth detention, and battles with addiction.
In June 1994, Roxanne told Mildred she was ready to seek help and planned to enter a drug rehabilitation program. On June 27, she left Mildred’s home to collect her belongings in Prince George, promising to return the next day. That was the last time Mildred saw or heard from Roxanne.
Shortly afterward, Roxanne disappeared. Nearly a month later, on August 17, 1994, her body was found near Burns Lake, alongside Highway 16, a stretch of road known as the Highway of Tears, where many Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered.
Roxanne’s murder remains unsolved, despite efforts by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Project E-PANA task force, which investigates unsolved cases linked to the highway. Her family continues to remember her as a bright and loving young girl who never got the chance to fulfill her dreams.
If you have any information related to Roxanne’s case or other Highway of Tears cases, please contact the RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
