A First Nation councillor who was reported missing on Friday, August 11th has been found dead.
44-year-old Stephanie Patterson’s body was located in a rural area in Mission, BC.
Stephanie was last seen at 6:30pm on Friday, August 11th leaving her residence located near Colony Farm Road and Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam. Stephanie was a member of the band council of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation.
Police were originally looking for 57-year-old David Hall as well but he was found along with the vehicle that the pair was travelling with.
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On August 14th, the Coquitlam RCMP arrested a man in connection to the missing person investigation and on August 15th, the same man was arrested in relation to the murder. Police have not released anymore details at this time.
“This tragic event has effected the entire community. Anyone in need of support is encouraged to reach out to the Coquitlam RCMP’s Victim Services,” says Sergeant Timothy Pierotti of IHIT.
“I would like to commend the Coquitlam RCMP for their excellent work on this investigation. It’s a result of their tireless work and dedication that they were able to locate and arrest a suspect so efficiently.”
“At this time we ask for respect and privacy for the family in their grief and suffering as we heal together as a community. We ask the public and media to also respect our space and land as we continue on our healing journey,” said Chief Giesbrecht and Councillor Chaffee from kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation.
“We would like to thank the Coquitlam RCMP for their diligence with this investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or send an email to ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.