Family of four found frozen to death near Canada-U.S. border identified; RCMP investigation continues
Four people who froze to death while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border in Manitoba have been identified.
According to a release from the High Commission of India, later confirmed by RCMP on Thursday, the four people have been identified as Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, a 39-year-old man, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, a 37-year-old woman, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, an 11-year-old girl, and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, a three-year-old boy.
The release said the four people were all Indian nationals, adding their next of kin have been notified.
RCMP Chief Superintendent Rob Hill offered an apology for originally identifying the 11-year-old as a male teen.
"Please understand that the frozen state in which the bodies were found and the clothing made by the family made the initial identification difficult. It is also why the process to confirm the names took an extended period of time," said Hill.
Hill said the family of four arrived in Toronto on Jan. 12 and travelled to Emerson, Man. on Jan. 18.
"The Consulate General of India in Toronto is in touch with the family of the deceased and is providing all consular support," the release reads.
The release said, following a medical examination, Canadian authorities have determined all the deaths to be consistent with exposure to outdoor elements.
It said a special team led by a senior consular officer from the Consulate General of India in Toronto is currently in Manitoba helping with the investigation.
"There was no abandoned vehicle on the Canadian side of the border. This clearly indicates that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene," said Hill.
Hill noted this was a long period of time to travel across the country, especially for a family unfamiliar with Canada.
"A part of the investigation is determining whether this travel was facilitated in some way by an individual or individuals," said Hill, adding RCMP believes people would have had interactions with the Patel family, including hotel, gas station, and restaurant employees.
"We need anyone who had interaction with the Patel family or has information about their journey to the border to think about what they went through, and to step forward."
For the Indian community in Manitoba, knowing who the identity of the family is a step closer to closure.
"The community is very strongly looking forward for answers," said Ramandeep Grewal, president of the India Association of Manitoba.
"We will be looking forward to having some closure into this episode and having the bad actors behind bars so that this cannot be repeated and that the vulnerable people are not paying off these traffickers anymore."
According to U.S. officials, it is believed the family ended up separated from a large group of seven Indian migrants who were arrested trying to enter the U.S. from Canada.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection told CTV News the migrants will be deported, saying they were administratively processed for removal or placed into removal proceedings last week.
"All the migrants have been released from Border Patrol’s custody and ordered to report to ICE at a later date," they said in a statement.
Steve Shand, a man from Florida, has been charged in the U.S. with human smuggling. The charges have not been proven in court.
If anyone has information that they can share with the RCMP, they’re encouraged to call 431-489-8551 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.