RCMP say the remains of a Vanderhoof woman who went missing 12 years ago have been found.
Madison (Maddy) Scott was last seen on May 28, 2011, while celebrating a friend’s birthday at Hogsback Lake, a camping spot 25 kilometres southeast of Vanderhoof. Scott was 20 at the time.
Police said the identity of the remains have been confirmed by the B.C. Coroners Service.
RCMP Cpl. Madonna Saunderson called the discovery a “significant development” and said that foul play has not been ruled out in Scott’s death.
Officers are executing a search warrant at a rural property on the east side of Vanderhoof, about 80 kilometres west of Prince George, Sauderson said.
No charges have been laid, she said, and the investigation is ongoing.
Vanderhoof Mayor Keven Moutray said the discovery has sent a shock wave through the community.
“It’s devastating news,” he said. “It’s not the outcome that anybody was wanting, so it’s a real shock to the system.”
Like most people, Moutray learned the news on Monday morning, 12 years to the day Scott’s disappearance was first reported.
A high-profile “Find Maddy” campaign was launched soon after she went missing. With billboards, bumper stickers and a fair amount of media coverage over the years, it has kept her disappearance in the public eye since then.
“I really commend the group that was leading the charge on that and keeping her front and centre in all our minds,” Moutray said.
He said the police contacted him directly, “but with no more information than what’s in the press release.”
The Scott family has been advised and they have asked for privacy, RCMP have said.
“Obviously, it is a change in the healing journey for the Scott family and we will make sure that the community is there for them, as we are for everybody,” Moutray said. “But we will be there for them and help them through these difficult next stages.”
Nechako-Lakes MLA John Rustad greeted the news with mixed emotions.
“I was always holding out hope that maybe she’d be found alive,” Rustad said. “Quite frankly, I really feel for the family, it being such an ordeal over the years.”
The family has offered a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and laying of charges of those responsible for her disappearance.
Anyone with any information is asked to call 778-290-5291 or 877-543-4822.
— With a file from the Times Colonist
