RCMP say for the first time they have identified remains found in Saskatchewan using the National Missing Persons DNA Program. This is the 6th investigation where human remains in Canada have been identified with NMPDP.

On July 24th, 2018, partial human remains were located near Maymont, in a remote rural area, a few hundred metres inland from the North Saskatchewan River. The remains were recovered with assistance from Biggar Fire Department. Then over three days, RCMP Officers from the Historical Case Unit, the Forensic Identification Unit, the Biggar Detachment, and an RCMP Forensic Anthropologist all examined the scene and the riverbanks. The search also involved the use of a drone to take photos of the area.

When no matches were made by comparing the remains to outstanding missing person cases in Saskatchewan and Alberta, investigators developed a DNA profile and then had a sample added to the National Missing Persons DNA Program where it was compared against DNA from missing persons and their families.

The remains were identified as belonging to that of Cheyenne Partridge who went missing from Edmonton, Alberta in 2016. The cause of her death is still undetermined and Edmonton Police continue to investigate the circumstances of her death.

Chief Superintendent Marie-Claude Arsenault, Officer in Charge, Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services says this case illustrates the value of the National Missing Persons DNA Program, “By linking cases that span provinces and jurisdictions while providing closure to families. The more profiles the NMPDP receives, the greater our chances of making an identification and bringing more people home. If you have a missing loved one and would like to participate in the Program, please contact the investigator of your missing persons file for further information.