‘Loving, doting’ mother descended into addiction Police identify slaying victim whose remains found along Red By: Chris Kitching and Erik Pindera Posted: 11:21 AM CDT Wednesday, May. 17, 2023 Last Modified: 4:35 PM CDT Wednesday, May. 17, 2023 Updates

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A 40-year-old “devoted” mother who had been gripped by drug addiction was publicly identified Wednesday as the homicide victim whose dismembered remains were found discarded next to the Red River last month.

No one has been arrested in the death of June Christine Johnson, who is one of several vulnerable women to be killed in the city in the last 12 months.

Johnson’s partial remains were found in a wooded area of riverbank near Curtis Street and Higgins Avenue in South Point Douglas on April 15.

“Prior to her addiction, June was a loving, devoted mom who loved her children deeply,” her family said in a statement read by Sgt. Wade McDonald of the Winnipeg Police Service homicide unit. “She loved hard, and family was of great importance to her.”

At a news conference, McDonald said Johnson was last seen downtown in early February.

She accessed services at core-area homeless shelters and community agencies, including Siloam Mission, Main Street Project and the Salvation Army.

People who knew Johnson said she had at least two children, who were in care, and had stayed at a housing complex in the Centennial neighbourhood.

“When I was with her, she was a loving, doting, fantastic mother, but the drugs, they just got her,” said former partner Paul Mathews, who is the father of Johnson’s second child, a son. “I was always hoping she would straighten out. I feel bad for the kids.

“They’ll never know their mom now. What saddens me is she’ll never get the chance to recover from her addiction.”

“When I was with her, she was a loving, doting, fantastic mother, but the drugs, they just got her… I was always hoping she would straighten out. I feel bad for the kids.”–Paul Mathews, victim’s former partner

Johnson’s circumstances were similar to those of multiple women who’ve died by violence recently, including victims of an alleged serial killer.

The four Indigenous women — Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified victim since named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman) — were killed in early 2022.

Jeremy Skibicki, 36, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

McDonald would not say if detectives have any leads on a suspect or suspects in Johnson’s death, but he confirmed police do not believe the slaying is linked to any other investigation.

He also declined to reveal if police know when, where or how she was killed.

A local resident previously told the Free Press the remains were sealed, package-like, in orange plastic next to a gravel path.

Investigators are trying to establish a timeline and theory about what happened to Johnson, who police said was not Indigenous.

They want to know more about who she had contact with and where she went in the evenings, said McDonald.

Her family asked for privacy and urged people with information to call police.

“June had a great sense of humour, was very outgoing and we are going to cherish our good times and memories with her,” the family said. “Sadly, addiction took over all aspects of her life and we lost her in this very tragic way.”

McDonald said Johnson’s relatives are looking for justice and the “truth” to be told about her.

Her death was Winnipeg’s ninth homicide of 2023.

Friends told the Free Press they feared something would happen to Johnson because her addiction and lifestyle made her vulnerable.

Dave, who declined to give his last name, said Johnson was trying to get into a treatment centre and wanted to better herself so she could be with her children.

They last spoke on the phone in January.

“She was doing OK. She was kind of frustrated nothing was going her way for a little while,” he said. “She was on a waiting list. She tried her hardest not to lose her kids, but sometimes stuff takes over.”

Johnson had gone missing in the past, he said.

Dave was disturbed by her death and dismemberment.

“I hope they catch the people or person who was responsible for this,” he said. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her at all. She was a decent, nice woman.”

“I hope they catch the people or person who was responsible for this,” he said. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her at all. She was a decent, nice woman.”–Dave, victim’s friend

When he held a news conference April 18 to appeal for tips, McDonald provided a description of the then-unidentified victim, who had no upper or lower teeth, a caesarean section scar and double-pierced ears.

He returned to his desk and soon received a call from someone with information about Johnson. Her family was among those who contacted detectives.

“The next several phone calls was information regarding June,” said McDonald.

Police confirmed Johnson’s identity through a second autopsy and medical records.

McDonald said more than 60 officers worked on the investigation, which included going through hundreds of hours, or 11 terabytes, of video surveillance footage.

“I’m very, very thankful for the investigators we have in the homicide unit who’ve been working day and night reviewing the video,” he said. “It’s tedious work, but has to be done.”

After the remains were found, police sealed off a large section of riverbank from South Point Douglas to Waterfront Drive as divers entered the Red.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca