Police have failed missing, murdered Manitoba women, families say

Manitoba families give police a failing grade when it comes to investigating cases of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW).

On a scale of one to 10, the families CBC spoke to gave police a 2.2 out of 10.

ClaudetteOsborne

MatthewBushbysaid he thinks his fiancee's disappearance in July 2008 was low on the priority list.

ClaudetteOsbornewas labeled a sex trade worker.

"Claudettewas always calling or in touch, to let me know, and this wasn't regular for her. We had a relationship for almost threeyears and 90 per centof the time she was clean and sober,"Bushbysaid, addingpolice didn't send out a missing person report for almost two weeks.

CBC met up withBushbyrecently at Winnipeg's garbage hill, aformer landfill-turned-greenspacethat overlooks part of the city.Bushbysaid he would go therewithOsbornein happier times.

• INTERACTIVE:MMIW: Unsolved cases of indigenous women and girls
• Families ofMMIWgive police a failing grade

"We'd bike here or drive here, the day and night, look at the cityscape. And when it wasn't cloudy, we'd look at the stars."

TanyaNepinak

Sue Caribou believes her niece, Tanya Nepinak, isn't a priority either.Police searched for her body in the Brady Landfill for six days in 2012.In November of 2013, charges against Shawn Lamb inher death were stayed.
Nepinak'sbody has never been found.Caribou fears her family willnever see justice.

"They (police) don't say anything about investigating it any more or searching for her, so we don't hear anything from them and it's not fair," Caribou said.

AmberGuiboche

Amber Guiboche went missing in November of 2010.Last August, police released asketch of a man who might know what happened to the 20 yearold.

Her sister, AshleyGeddes, saidat the time, police told her Guiboche was probably partying.

"Fouryears later she's still out partying? She's still out having a good time?" Geddes said."I want answers. I'm demanding answers now. It's been fouryears, enough is enough. Iwant my sister home."

'We do everything we can'

Project Devote has 18 officers, with 10 from the Winnipeg Police Service and eight from RCMP. There are also five support staff helping the team and two civilian RCMP officers including a criminal analyst and an information processor.

"Every day can be different," said Sgt. Shawn Pike, a Winnipeg Police Service officer on Project Devote. "At certain times we dig in the files, looking for a break One day we may get a call from someone that causes us to act."

Pike said officers have to coordinate with detachments across the country and deal with multiple files on a daily basis.

"We follow every tip we can right to the Nth degree," said Pike.

Pike said it's not practical for officers to update families on a daily basis.

"It's just not logistically possible or fair, and it doesn't deal with the ultimate goal bringing those responsible to justice," he said.

One of the members of Project Devote works full-time as a family liaison.

"These investigations are extremely complex and challenging long term and very complex," said Sgt. Rob Lasson, an RCMP officer on Project Devote's team. "They require long-term, extensive investigative techniques.

"I think if there's anybody that has come to the police and left, and they're not happy, especially in a case as serious as when someone has their life taken away from them, I understand it's tough," said Pike. "It's unfortunate that something has happened that has caused that, but I can tell you, out of Project Devote, our focus here we do everything we can."

Awareness growing

Bushbysaidawareness about these missing and murdered women is growing andthe RCMP, Winnipeg Police joint task force Project Devote is making a difference.

At first, he gave police a rating of four on Osborne's case. He now gives them a seven.And like 70per cent of the families CBC talked to, Bushby wants a national inquiry.

"Once it's on paper, you can have agencies and advocates hold something and say, 'look, this is what's been recommended, this is what we have found out. The proof is here.' I think we need that."

Now he's focused on being a dad to ninekidsthreeof them are Osborne's.

"It was three years of a wonderful timecut short," he said.

As he lookedout over the city, he still wonderswhere she is and what happened to her.

Officers from Project Devote encourage anyone with information on any of their cases to come forward.