Committed to find Tina’s killer

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/08/2015 (3852 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There have been no recent news releases, no new public pleas for information. It has all but vanished from the headlines, and perhaps the minds of many Winnipeggers.

But make no mistake: solving the Tina Fontaine homicide remains among the highest priorities within the Winnipeg Police Service.

Officially, police will only confirm the obvious — the investigation remains active and ongoing. A Free Press request for further information, which included several specific questions, was declined this week.

Several police and justice sources say there continues to be a dedicated effort to bring Tina’s killer to justice. And while there is frustration the case hasn’t progressed as quickly as liked, optimism remains it will be solved.

One justice source observed there are other cases, such as the recent Thelma Krull investigation, that are taxing manpower.

“The reality is the WPS only have so many investigators to work on these cases,” the source said. “In my mind, all unsolved cases are priority No. 1, but that doesn’t mean they are treated like priority No. 1. Workload, manpower and resources often come into play, and these challenges tend to water down the ability of investigators to work on these cases. The other thing you have to take into account is how many avenues of investigation still exist that can be explored. Some of these cases just simply run out of places to go.”

One active avenue still being pursued is the discovery Tina spent some of her final days at a Furby Street apartment block justice officials believe was used for human trafficking. Three people were arrested this spring for allegedly holding a 17-year-old girl captive and forcing her to have sex with as many as 50 men.

One of the accused, Jeanenne Fontaine, is a first cousin to Tina. The victim in the human-trafficking case was allegedly held inside Jeanenne Fontaine’s suite.

It’s the same suite where Tina spent a weekend last August prior to going missing and being killed. The revelation raised more questions about what might have happened to her, since Tina’s family previously told the Free Press they believe she was being sexually exploited weeks before her death.

Police are attempting to track down as many of the men who had sexual contact with the victim to determine whether they had any dealings with Tina, sources say.

Another lead still being pursued by police is potential DNA evidence that could be recovered from Tina’s clothing. Family members told the Free Press earlier this year investigators sent exhibits to a specialized forensic lab in Austria. Sources say results are still pending.

Earlier this year, Winnipeg Police Service Supt. Danny Smyth admitted the case has been “very challenging” for officers. He also confirmed a deep emotional investment and “roller-coaster ride” for investigators, who are desperate to find answers to this mystery.

It was a rare glimpse into the minds of police officers, who have often come under fire for seemingly not devoting the type of effort and resources into cases of murdered and missing indigenous women.

In the past year, police have been more transparent and vocal than usual about other investigations involving vulnerable individuals such as Tina Fontaine.

For example, police took the unprecedented step of identifying Rinelle Harper, a teen who was violently beaten, sexually assaulted and left for dead on the banks of the Assiniboine River last fall. Police got permission from the family to release Rinelle’s name and photo in hopes of drumming up leads. It worked — two young men were quickly arrested.

Police launched a similar public information blitz earlier this year when a young Winnipeg teen, a ward of Child and Family Services, was beaten and raped downtown. The flow of information was fast and detailed and ultimately resulted in an arrest.

Police also went public in a major way in spring when three homeless people were beaten to death. They issued a quick public alert to all vulnerable people in the downtown area a spree killer may be on the loose and arrested a suspect following several days of around-the-clock investigation.

www.mikeoncrime.com