RCMP, family renew calls for information on disappearance of missing Manitoba teen

On the nights Lena Harper can’t sleep, she stares retired a model successful her location connected Wasagamack First Nation hoping to 1 time spot her granddaughter locomotion up the driveway.

It’s go a ritual for Harper since Tammy Nattaway, who was 16 astatine the time, vanished a twelvemonth ago.

“I would look retired the model reasoning … possibly we would spot her connected the roadworthy waving astatine maine saying, ‘I’m home,'” Harper said successful an interview.

Manitoba RCMP accidental the teen was past seen successful her assemblage of Garden Hill First Nation connected July 14, 2020.

Wasagamack, Garden Hill and St. Theresa’s Point First Nations are neighbouring communities successful the distant Island Lake portion successful bluish Manitoba.

It’s not uncommon for residents to spell backmost and distant betwixt the three.

Harper says successful caller years Tammy would often enactment astatine her spot wherever she enjoyed hanging retired with household and spending clip with kids successful the area.

Police accidental the household contacted officers connected July 31, 2020, to marque an authoritative missing persons study aft searches successful the 3 communities were unsuccessful.

Those closest to Tammy accidental she’s a quiescent miss who likes listening to euphony oregon speechmaking books connected her phone. She is the 2nd oldest successful a household of 9 siblings. Her parent says her girl is timid.

“She wouldn’t tally off. She would hardly adjacent locomotion to the convenience store by herself. We ever knew wherever she was. We knew thing other was going on,” said Cecile Stephanie Nattaway successful an RCMP merchandise earlier this month.

‘It could beryllium that portion that we’re looking for’

Officers person spoken to much than 100 radical and searched onshore and h2o utilizing helicopters, boats and sonar technology, but determination person been nary coagulated leads, said Tara Seel, Manitoba RCMP’s media relations officer.

With tips and constabulary searches waning, Mounties decided to renew a petition for accusation connected the one-year day of Tammy’s disappearance.

“If idiosyncratic knows something, don’t presume that we cognize it. It could beryllium that portion that we’re looking for,” Seel said successful an interview.

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“There’s a batch of rumours going around, which we look into of course, but it definite helps erstwhile idiosyncratic calls america straight and tells america what they know.”

Police fishy “foul play” successful the teen’s disappearance, but Seel said officers haven’t ruled it a homicide.

Officers person relied connected locals to assistance hunt the immense area. The communities are surrounded by h2o and wooded areas, which makes them lone accessible by aerial successful the summertime and crystal roadworthy successful the winter.

Seel said having assemblage enactment is important to the investigation. “To person the section cognition lend to our grid searching and our methodologies is beyond valuable.”

Jack Harper is 1 of the pb coordinators who has organized community-led searches. Most recently, an underwater drone was utilized to hunt waterways adjacent Wasagamack.

He said Tammy’s disappearance, and the deficiency of answers, weighs connected searchers.

“They sometimes get frustrated. Sometimes, I tin spot immoderate radical successful those searches can’t truly ore connected their home. They’re excessively engaged reasoning astir her,” helium said.

Harper understands the frustration. He feels it immoderate days, too, but said helium won’t remainder until Tammy is found.

It’s not the archetypal clip Harper has taken the pb connected uncovering a missing girl.

He was portion of the hunt for Teresa Robinson, 11, erstwhile she disappeared aft leaving a day enactment successful Garden Hill successful May 2015. Searchers recovered her remains successful a wooded area. It was initially believed she had been killed by a bear.

But injuries uncovered during an autopsy led to a lengthy homicide probe that included RCMP collecting hundreds of voluntary DNA samples from males successful Garden Hill.

More than 2 and a fractional years later, a teen who had fixed a illustration to constabulary admitted helium killed the miss portion sexually assaulting her. The teen was sentenced successful February 2018.

Harper said helium hopes Nattaway’s household tin get closure soon.

The teen’s grandma is urging anyone with accusation to travel forward. But portion Lena Harper hopes to 1 time spot her granddaughter again, she believes the worst has happened.

“We had this feeling past twelvemonth that she’s not with america already. We would similar to bash a due burial for her.”