Ex-RCMP officer probes Highway of Tears leads on own time

CBC News continuesto investigate missing and murdered indigenous women and girls by exploring the stories of these women, their families and their communities.

For 10 years,private investigator Ray Michalkohas been trying to solve British Columbia's infamous Highway of Tears cases but nobody pays him to determine what may have happened to themurdered and missing women along that800-kilometrestretch.

RCMP say the route alongHighway 16 thatwinds between Prince George and Prince Rupertis whereat least 18 women have gone missing or been murdered since 1969. Seventeen of thosecases remain unsolved.

"I'm disappointed that some of these cases haven't been solved," says Michalko, 67."I'm stubborn. I'm not a quitter. And I like to help people."

Michalkowasan RCMP officer, but leftthe force after nine years because he prefers to work alone.

• A timeline of the 18 missing women cases in B.C.
• INTERACTIVE: The unsolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women

"I remember once counting the number of side roads that a killer could drive off to dispose of a body in an hour, and there were a hundred maybe more," Michalko says. "It's the perfect place to go missing forever."

Whenever he gets a chance,Michalko drives north from his home in Vancouver and follows his leads. Over the past decade, he estimates, he hasput in a year of 40-hour weeks.

Hitting the streets for answers

In May,Michalko was in Prince George following up on a lead in the killingsof teenagers Leah Germaine and Roxanne Thiara apparentmurders that happened in 1994.

Michalko believes the cases are linked and the killer lived near the now-abandoned elementary school where Germaine's body was dumped after she hadbeen stabbed to death.

"This theory has been with me since I started,"Michalkosays "and I keep coming back to it."

BothGermaineandThiarawere involved in drugs and prostitution,Michalkosaid. The women had something else in commonboth had said they wanted to clean up andget out.

I didn't expect quite the resistance to what I was doing.- Ray Michalko, private investigator

"It makes me wonder if the people responsible for running that business,using them, like their pimps, had something to do with it,"Michalkosaid, adding that he`s tracking down who the players in that trade were back then.

Michalko's investigation technique is simple: He walks the streets of Prince George and talks to as many street-involved people as he can. He hands out dozens of business cards.

"I still believe there are people out there that know something," Michalko says. "It's just getting them to come forward that is the biggest problem."

Hope for families

Over the years,Michalkohas grown close to a few of the familiessearching for answers to what happened to their lovedones.

Sixteen-year-oldRamonaWilson went missing in June1994. Her body was found 10 months later. TheRCMPhasinvestigatedRamona'smurder,but hasbeen unable to solve it.

"Ray's been a really good friend to us and has inspired us in some different ways when we did feel hopeless,"said Brenda Wilson,Ramona'ssister."He always seems to show up when we feel that way. And it's been good."

'Thorn in side' for RCMP

Michalko's investigations haven't been popular with the RCMP over the years. In 2008, the Mounties sent him a letter warning that he could be charged with obstructing justice if he wasn't careful.

Michalkosays theRCMPwants him to go home and forget about the women's deaths, acknowledging:"I am a thorn in their side, to put it politely.

• The case ofRamonaWilson

"You know,the RCMP is very territorial and I am sticking my nose in what they see as their business," he says. "I would have felt the same back in the day myself. I can understand that. I didn't expect quite the resistance to what I was doing."

If you have any information on these casescontact mmiw@cbc.ca.