Update 2 - Manitoba RCMP locate four deceased individuals near the Canada/US border

Media Release - Jan 27, 2022

On January 19, 2022, Manitoba RCMP discovered four bodies, near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada/US border.

An extensive investigation was immediately launched and the Manitoba RCMP, including officers from Emerson RCMP Detachment, the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) and Major Crime Services, worked in close collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

On January 26, 2022, autopsies were completed and the identities of the victims were confirmed. They are:

·                     Jagdishkumar PATEL, a 39-year-old male;

·                     Vaishaliben PATEL, a 37-year-old female;

·                     Vihangi PATEL, an 11-year-old female; and

·                     Dharmik PATEL, a 3-year-old male.

They are from the same family and are all Indian nationals.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba has confirmed that the cause of death was due to exposure.

The RCMP has been working closely with RCMP Liaison Officers in New Delhi, India and Washington, D.C., and have been in regular contact with Indian consular officials.

We can confirm that on January 12, 2022, the Patel family arrived in Toronto, Canada. From Toronto the family made their way to Emerson on, or about, January 18, 2022.

There was no abandoned vehicle located on the Canadian side of the border. This indicates that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene.

The RCMP are looking to determine how they travelled from Toronto on January 12, to Emerson on January 18.

With what we know so far of their activities in Canada, along with the arrest that occurred in the United States, we believe this to be a case of human smuggling.

We know the Patel family moved around Canada for a period of time and we are looking for anyone that may have had encounters with them.

If you have any information on this investigation please call the Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Services at 431-489-8551, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

 

Winnipeg, Manitoba                                                       January 24, 2022

Update- Manitoba RCMP locate four deceased individuals near the Canada/US border

The RCMP continues to work to confirm the identities of the four victims who were located on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, near the town of Emerson, Manitoba. Our investigators are working closely with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba and pursuing other investigative avenues to confirm the names. We are also in regular contact with Indian consular officials who have arrived in Manitoba. Once the identities have been confirmed, our priority will be to formally notify the next of kin.

We are aware that some media outlets are publishing the possible identities of the four victims. As a law enforcement organization, we will not be in a position to confirm these names until we have 100 percent certainty of their identities and next of kin notification is completed.

The investigation is ongoing and we continue to work with U.S. authorities, including Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.

When we have further information to share, we will advise.

 

Winnipeg, Manitoba                                                       January 20, 2022

Manitoba RCMP locate four deceased individuals near the Canada/US border

On the morning of January 19, 2022, RCMP officers with the Integrated Border Enforcement Team received concerning information from their counterparts in the United States.

Specifically, the information outlined that officers with the US Customs and Border Protection had apprehended a group of individuals who had crossed into the US from Canada, near the town of Emerson, Manitoba. Further, it indicated that one of the adults had items meant for an infant but that no infant was with the group.

Upon receiving this information at 9:23 am, a search was immediately launched on both sides of the border.

RCMP officers were already patrolling the area and the search began at 9:24 am. Extensive patrols were conducted and, at approximately 1:30 pm, the bodies of three individuals were located on the Canadian side of the border, approximately 10 km east of Emerson.

They have been identified as:

o    An adult male;

o    An adult female; and

o    An infant.

Fearing there may be additional victims, officers continued their search and located the body of an additional male, believed at this time to be in his mid-teens.

All victims were located approximately 40’ from the US/Canada border.

At this very early stage of the investigation, it appears that they all died due to exposure to the cold weather. Work is underway to identify the victims and an autopsy has been scheduled to confirm the cause of death.

The search for any possible survivors or additional victims continued throughout the evening of Wednesday, January 19, and RCMP officers continue to patrol the area today. To date, no other victims have been located.

The RCMP will be conducting a thorough investigation and is working in close collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

All of our agencies are committed to a thorough and comprehensive investigation.