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Police seek four missing persons

By: Staff Writer

21/10/2009 7:37 PM | Comments: 7

Jessica Crouch-Sinclair, 16, was last seen around 4 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2009, in the southeast area of Winnipeg.

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Jessica Crouch-Sinclair, 16, was last seen around 4 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2009, in the southeast area of Winnipeg.

WINNIPEG — Winnipeg police are seeking the public’s help in finding four missing persons. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the following people should contact the Winnipeg Police Service Missing Persons Unit at 986-6250.

• Nicole Houle, 16, was last seen Oct. 18 in the North End.

Winnipeg police consider Houle to be a child in need of protection as she is at high risk of being exploited or victimized and investigators are concerned for her well-being.

She is described as aboriginal, 5’6", 140 pounds, with medium build, dark shoulder length hair and brown eyes.

She is believed to be in the company of Thunder Belanger, 21, also aboriginal, 5’10", 150 pounds, with a thin build. Belanger is wanted on a warrant of arrest by police.

• Jessica Crouch-Sinclair, 16, was last seen Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. in the southeast part of Winnipeg.

Crouch-Sinclair is Metis, 5’5", about 100 pounds, has medium length brown hair and hazel eyes and has a prominent dimple in her left cheek.

Investigators believe Crouch-Sinclair may be in the company of a 20-year-old male acquaintance identified as Bradley Kenneth Jones.

Crouch-Sinclair is considered at high risk of being exploited, victimized and is easily influenced. She is known to frequent the St. Vital Mall area and north of that location near St. Anne’s Road and Fermor Avenue.

• Thomas Gregory Hawley, 58, was last seen in late March, 2009, and is known to frequent hotels in the Osborne Village and downtown areas of the city.

Hawley is Caucasian, 5’10", 160 pounds, has medium length grey hair, a grey goatee, and brown eyes. He also has a crooked right pinky finger.

• Cheyenne Catcheway, 13, was last seen Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. around Broadway and Sherbrook Street.

Catcheway is considered at high risk of being exploited or victimized and investigators are concerned for her immediate well-being.

She is described as aboriginal, 5’5", 110 pounds, brown eyes, and short black or dark brown hair usually worn in a ponytail. She was last seen wearing a black hoody with "Roots" written across the front, white "skater" type running shoes and blue jeans.

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7 Commentscomment icon

Amber alerts are only for children who have been abducted. There is no evidence to suspect any of the girls were abducted; on the contrary, there is evidence to suggest at least two of the three are willingly with older guys.

They're both 16 - at what point do they get to choose with whom they want to live? I'm not saying these guys aren't complete losers, but these girls aren't exactly little kids any more.

I think we should save the Amber alert for kids that are in real danger, not rebellious near-adult 16 year olds who think it's cool to get themselves in the paper. It becomes a joke after seeing the same teen "missing" over and over again and hinders the effectiveness of an Amber alert when it's needed.

Dan - most of these girls, no doubt, go 'missing' on a regular basis. The families or, more likely, foster families will wait a day because they show up. If it says that they are 'of a high risk' it would stand to reason that they are not squeaky clean. The police can only do so much as - most of the time they don't tell anyone who they are friends with AND - the friends won't say anything. Better to get the name out than not.

... and these are just the missing persons in the Free Press, there are many MANY more at any given time. An amber alert would be a good idea!

Sometimes the police aren't notified of their disappearance until 3 days, a week, 3 weeks, etc. after they disappear. So,
the "onus" is really on these kids caregivers, guardians, family, and friends.

Geez, let's just hope they're all OK, unharmed, and return home safe & soon.

Is there nothing like an "amber alert" available in this city?

The first young lady has been missing for three days, the second young lady six days. They're both 16 years old.

In three days you can comfortably drive to BC. In six days you can be on the other side of the world.

These are children, assumed to be in the company of older male adults. The onus (on law enforcement) should be on getting the information out sooner, rather then later.

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