Residents of Minnedosa are in shock after it was discovered that a woman who had been living there for 16 years was a fugitive.
Jean Keating was arrested in Oregon in 1997 after a drunk driving crash that killed a 65-year-old great grandmother. Before her trial she disappeared with her two kids and ended up in Minnedosa as Jean McPherson.
Locals who knew Keating described her as a regular person who worked. A local RCMP constable heard rumours of a possible fugitive living there. He launched an investigation with the border enforcement team.
“Anyone else may have dismissed it as simply just a rumour, but they followed up and I'm extremely happy with the work they did and the outcome is great,” said RCMP spokesperson Miles Hiebert.
Authorities on both sides of the border matched her fingerprints since she was also arrested for drunk driving here. Police arrested the 54-year-old in April and she was deported back to Oregon.
The Canadian Border Services Agency still doesn't know how she got into Canada.
Keating is now in Linn County jail facing charges for first-degree manslaughter. She appeared in court today.
Jewel Anderson's family releaseed a statement that it finally has some closure after 16 years. The family said calling the crash an accident is an outright lie, because Keating intentionally drove drunk.
- With a report by Andrea Slobodian
