Boudreau - Links Only (Media & related internet presences) [Archive]

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:19 AM

Bridgewater mom issues plea for missing daughter to come home
]Last Updated: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 | 4:51 PM AT
CBC News

http://i25.tinypic.com/5z1rb8.jpg

A Bridgewater mother made a desperate plea Tuesday for her missing 12-year-old daughter to come home.

"Karissa, we love you. Your grandparents are looking for you, we are looking for you, everyone is, so just come home or call or something, please," a tearful Penny Boudreau said.

Karissa Boudreau, 12, of Bridgewater was last seen Sunday.
(Bridgewater police) Karissa Boudreau was last seen after an argument with her mother at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Bridgewater Mall.

Penny Boudreau said the hours since her daughter disappeared have been "pure hell."

She and her family held a news conference at the Bridgewater Police station to appeal to Karissa to either come home or call.

Penny Boudreau broke down into tears, as she pleaded for her daughter to "just put their latest argument behind them."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/01/29/missing-girl.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:22 AM

Search for missing Bridgewater girl turns up no clues
Last Updated: Thursday, January 31, 2008 | 3:58 PM AT
CBC News

There's still no sign of a 12-year-old South Shore girl missing since Sunday, Bridgewater police said Thursday.

A Department of Natural Resources helicopter spent four hours in the air Thursday, the first sunny and clear day this week, looking for any sign of Karissa Boudreau.

Karissa Boudreau was last seen on Sunday. (Bridgewater police)
Karissa was last seen after an argument with her mother 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Bridgewater Mall, which borders the LaHave River. Bridgewater, a town of about 8,000 people, is located one hour south of Halifax.

Two Bridgewater police officers were in the chopper, which flew along the shores of the Lahave River, concentrating its search on the area where the girl was last seen.

Meanwhile, Karissa's parents have agreed to allow photos of their daughter to be distributed around the region by Child Find, an organization devoted to publicizing missing children cases.

Penny Boudreau made a desperate plea Tuesday for her daughter to come home.

"Karissa, we love you. Your grandparents are looking for you; we are looking for you; everyone is. So just come home or call or something, please," a tearful Boudreau said at a news conference held at the Bridgewater police station.

When she disappeared, Karissa was not dressed for the winter storm that hit Sunday night, wearing only light clothing and plastic Croc shoes.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/01/31/search-girl.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:24 AM

Police unable to confirm missing girl sightings
By BEVERLEY WARE South Shore Bureau
Sat. Feb 2 - 5:14 AM

BRIDGEWATER — Bridgewater police say there have been reported sightings of Karissa Boudreau, but they have not been able to confirm anyone saw the missing 12-year-old Bridgewater girl.

"We have not been able to conclusively say it was her," said Sgt. John Collyer, acting deputy police chief. He said police agencies across Canada and the United States, and now Interpol, are aware of Karissa’s case.

Karissa’s mother, Penny Boudreau, made a brief, deeply emotional plea through the media Friday morning.

"I’m just here to reach out to my daughter," she said, weeping. "Karissa, you have lots of people who love you and want you home."

Ms. Boudreau begged anyone with any information to come forward and tell the police. She also thanked her employer, The Atlantic Superstore, for its support and thanked the community as a whole.

"Nothing can be done to make things better, but it’s comforting to have the support."

Police said they have no reason to believe Karissa has been the victim of foul play, but they do not have video evidence backing up her mother’s story that her daughter got out of her car while she ran into Sobeys for about 15 minutes at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

"We have not been able to confirm Karissa was in the car. . . . It’s of concern to us. We are exploring that," though police do have Ms. Boudreau on video going into the grocery store at that time, Sgt. Collyer said.

Nearly three hours passed before Ms. Boudreau reported her daughter missing to police, but Sgt. Collyer said Ms. Boudreau told police that’s because she first searched for her daughter on her own, driving around and checking to see if she had returned home.

No family members have been asked to take a lie detector test, and Sgt. Collyer said they have all been forthcoming with investigators.

"The family has been very co-operative with us in anything we’ve asked. We have no reason at this point to disbelieve what mom has told us."

Investigators have spoken with Ms. Boudreau, Karissa’s father, Paul Boudreau, and Ms. Boudreau’s boyfriend, Vernon MacCumber.

"We have no reason to believe anybody’s not telling us the truth."

He said, "This has been a criminal investigation almost from Day 1," which is police practice. "We do not have any evidence to point to anything criminal at this point and, believe me, we’ve explored that."

Police have also spoken with Karissa’s classmates at Bridgewater Elementary School and with some of their parents, as well as friends from Shelburne, where the girl lived until September.

"We’ve been reaching out to anybody we think had any contact with Karissa."

Calls continue to come in from people offering to help, with one coming from as far afield as Texas, but Sgt. Collyer said the number of tips coming in has dwindled and with it, the department’s options.

"All we can do is to continue to ask the general public to try to assist us," as investigators continue to follow up on every tip and potential lead.

Two Bridgewater police officers went up in a Natural Resources Department helicopter Thursday morning but uncovered no clues. Sgt. Collyer said the ice had cleared from the river behind the Bridgewater Mall, and some snow had cleared in the woods, so officers got a good view of things from the air.

The chopper also flew about 40 kilometres both east and west along Highway 103 because there had been reported sightings of somebody hitchhiking in the rain Sunday night.

Town police met with a member of the RCMP’s underwater recovery team shortly after Karissa disappeared, and while there were a couple of spots where she could have gone into the water, the diver said it would have been very difficult for her to have gone under the ice, "so from our point of view it was not likely she went into the river," Sgt. Collyer said.

Karissa was wearing just a black hoodie with pink Crocs on her feet when she disappeared. Sgt. Collyer said she had no cellphone, no purse, and just $2 on her.

"We don’t know if this is an abduction. We don’t know if this is Karissa running away. We just don’t know."

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1035576.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:27 AM

Last updated at 8:26 AM on 04/02/08
Police continue search for missing 12-year-old
ROBYN YOUNG
Transcontinental Media

BRIDGEWATER - After seven days of searching, Bridgewater police are running short of clues as to the whereabouts of Karissa Boudreau.

Bridgewater police acting deputy chief John Collyer said leads in the disappearance of the 12-year-old girl are slowing down. “We’re still pursuing some avenues, but it’s difficult without any new information,” Collyer said yesterday evening.

On Friday, police held a press conference and said they were 90 per cent sure Karissa was not in the LeHave River. Yesterday Collyer said with rising temperatures over the weekend and ice on the river breaking up, they’ll do a second sweep. “Where she was last seen was fairly close to the river,” he said. “The family has raised that as a possibility, and, certainly, we want to try and do everything we can to assure them that’s not the case.” Of most concern, he said, is that there’s been no word from the girl in a week.
“We’ve had some kids around Karissa’s age take off before, but usually they’re found within a fairly short period of time,” he said. “Certainly, the absence of any kind of contact with her over this last week, it rather concerns us.”

Abduction is something the police department is keeping in mind.
“That would be extremely rare here in Bridgewater or even on the South Shore, but we can’t rule it completely out,” Collyer said.

Karissa was last seen Jan. 27 when her mom left her in a parked car in the Bridgewater Mall parking lot, while she stopped in to Sobeys. Penny Boudreau returned 10 minutes later and found the Grade 6 student was gone.

Reports say the mother and daughter had an argument just before she disappeared, but Collyer said the young girl has no history of running away.
She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a black vest, blue jeans and pink Crocs.

Collyer said the family is holding up as well as can be expected.

http://www.amherstdaily.com/index.cfm?sid=104790&sc=58

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:29 AM

False tips on Karissa ‘ disturbing’
Lack of solid leads frustrate cops in case of missing 12-year-old girl
By RENEE STEVENS
Mon. Feb 4 - 5:37 AM

BRIDGEWATER — Local police are becoming increasingly frus*trated with every day that pas*ses with no new leads on the whereabouts of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau.

The Bridgewater girl has been missing since Jan. 27 and Sgt. John Collyer, the acting deputy police chief, says the number of legitimate tips inves*tigators are receiving is start*ing to dwindle.

“Today we haven’t received many calls at all," he said Sun*day.

“There have been no sight*ings, mostly just people calling to offer physical help in some way like search in certain areas and stuff like that. There’s a lev*el of frustration right now, for sure, but as investigators it’s our goal to solve this so that’s what we have set out to do."

No one has seen or heard from Karissa since her mother re*ported her missing. Penny Bou*dreau reported that her daugh*ter got out of her car in the park*ing lot of the Bridgewater So*beys while she was inside shopping for 15 minutes at about 5:30 p.m. last Sunday. She reported Karissa missing al*most three hours later, but Sgt. Collyer said Ms. Boudreau told police she first searched for her daughter on her own.

He said police believe some*one out there knows something, but the biggest problem right now is speculation and third-*hand information. “We have heard some disturb*ing reports from the family. Peo*ple are calling and telling them things that other people have told them. The problem is that this is all speculation, but the more it circulates the more peo*ple take it as fact," he said.

“For example, we had a woman call yesterday and she actually called 911 to say there was a body behind the Apple Berry Farm Market. We had al*ready searched that area, but we conducted a search again and turned up nothing. When we went back to her to say that we found nothing, she then said that she had only heard that there was a body there."

Missing-person posters have been distributed all over the province and in parts of New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Police agencies across Canada and the United States, as well as Interpol, are aware of Karissa’s case and Child Find is also involved with the search.

Sgt. Collyer said police are utilizing every available re*source but still need the public’s help to gather information that may provide clues about Karis*sa’s whereabouts.

“Obviously, we are still hop*ing that someone will come for*ward with a key piece of infor*mation that for whatever reason they haven’t shared with us yet, but regardless the investigators continue to look into anything we do have to go on and we are remaining positive that we will solve this."

Karissa was last seen wearing a black hoodie and pink Crocs and was not carrying a cell*phone or purse.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/9005412.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:31 AM

Divers find no signs of missing girl in LaHave River
By The Canadian Press
Tue. Feb 5 - 5:32 PM

BRIDGEWATER — RCMP divers searched the frigid waters of the LaHave River in Bridgewater on Tuesday, but found no trace of a missing 12-year-old girl.

Sgt. John Collyer of the Bridgewater police said a team of three to five divers scoured the area for signs of Karissa Boudreau who disappeared from the southern Nova Scotia community more than a week ago.

"They haven't found anything,'' Collyer said from Bridgewater. ``But they're only able to go in for 15 minutes at a time before they have to come in and warm up. They do have a fair bit of river to cover.''

He said the team will resume their search Wednesday, even though police doubt the young girl went into the river.

Collyer said there are some holes in the icy river, but that it would have been difficult for the girl to go under since they are in shallow areas.

Still, he said that before ruling it out police want to be sure she's not in the river, which runs behind the grocery store where she disappeared Jan. 27.

Collyer said police were checking on several tips that came in through the day from various people, one of whom claimed to have spotted the girl in Yarmouth.

The Grade 6 student, who is five feet tall and 130 pounds with straight brown hair, disappeared following an argument with her mother in the parking lot of a local grocery store.

Her mother claimed the two drove to the store at around 5 p.m., had a dispute and then she went into the grocery outlet. About 12 minutes later, the mother said she returned to find her daughter gone.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1036096.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:32 AM

LaHave dive turns up nothing
Police encouraged by a few tips about missing 12-year-old girl
By BEVERLEY WARE South Shore Bureau
Wed. Feb 6 - 5:44 AM

BRIDGEWATER — An RCMP dive team will be back in the LaHave River this morning for a second underwater search for any sign of Karissa Boudreau.

An extensive search for the missing 12-year-old carried out Tuesday by three divers turned up nothing, but Bridgewater police Sgt. John Collyer said investigators are buoyed by a few tips that have come in.

"There have been a few new leads that came in today that our investigators are pursuing," he said Tuesday.

The tips relayed new information, though Sgt. Collyer could not reveal details.

"Any new information is encouraging but the investigator seems positive about at least one of them anyway," the officer said. Two RCMP divers entered the black and freezing LaHave River behind Sobeys at the Bridgewater Mall at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Along with a third diver, they spent the day spotting one another off, with two divers in the river at a time searching the deep water between Sobeys and Mariners Landing.

Several orange buoys were laid out on the pavement in case they were needed to mark a location.

The officers were connected to a small boat by a long rope. Bubbles from their air tanks could be seen breaking the surface behind the boat as it went down the river and back up, retracing its path numerous times throughout the day.

Onlookers dotted the banks of the river and vehicles pulled over, curious to see what was going on. Sgt. Collyer said the underwater search may go beyond today.

"We’ll just take it one day at a time."

Police have also been concerned about rumours circulating the community. One that has been gaining steam is that Karissa had a 19-year-old boyfriend who went missing the evening Karissa disappeared.

"That’s one of those nasty rumours," and simply is not true, Sgt. Collyer said.

Karissa, a Grade 6 student at Bridgewater Elementary School, has been missing since 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 27.

She had been arguing with her mother when Penny Boudreau pulled up to Sobeys to pick up a few things. When she came out of the grocery store about 15 minutes later, her daughter was not in her red Neon. The efforts of a search dog that evening were hampered by snow and rain.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1036390.html

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:34 AM

Police appear stumped over missing N.S. girl
ALISON AULD
The Canadian Press
February 8, 2008

She disappeared within minutes, apparently seen by no one and leaving no obvious trail in the small Nova Scotia community she had recently started calling home.

The case of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau has mystified police, the residents of the seaside town of Bridgewater and thousands of people across the country who have seen electronic images of the smiling girl pop up in their e-mails.

Almost two weeks after she vanished from her mother's car in a busy parking lot, police appear stumped and her father concedes he's losing hope.

"...The leads aren't panning out, and with somebody disappearing that fast, there's got to be foul play there," Paul Boudreau said in an interview this week. "When you've been this helpless since Day 1, you know, it's probably not going to be a good outcome. I hope I'm wrong."

Police divers spent two days this week searching a river that runs behind a Bridgewater grocery store where the girl's mother said Karissa was last seen Jan. 27 at around 5 p.m., when they stopped to pick up a few things.

A ground search team fanned out around the area in the days after her mother reported her missing, and others have walked the highway and riverbanks to scan for tracks.

But they have found nothing of the young girl whose image has been plastered throughout the community of about 8,000 people and on numerous Facebook sites that have racked up more than 13,000 members.

"We're concerned and we're frustrated by what's going on, but we're doing all we can to bring a resolution to this matter," Bridgewater police Sergeant John Collyer said yesterday.

"[These cases] usually follow a certain pattern and this particular one has not."

Dianna Cann of Child Find Nova Scotia said the group has distributed posters across the country and is meeting with the family, but is distressed by the lack of solid leads.

Karissa's mother, Penny Boudreau, said the two had an argument typical of their usual spats, and that she left her daughter in the car for about 10 minutes while she ran into the store. When she returned, her daughter was gone. She wasn't carrying a cellphone or purse, had only $2 and was wearing pink Crocs and light clothing just prior to a winter storm. Surveillance cameras in the area captured no image of the car.

People in Bridgewater have talked of little else since the Grade 6 pupil vanished, Mayor Carroll Publicover said.

"They're just in disbelief and wondering what they can do," he said. "They're full of emotion. In a small community, it takes a toll. Everyone's concerned."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080208.MISSING08/TPStory/National

Grande

02-09-2008, 01:38 AM

Last updated at 10:00 PM on 08/02/08
Local vigil planned for missing Bridgewater teen
The Truro Daily News

TRURO – A vigil will be held Sunday for a Bridgewater girl missing for nearly two weeks.

Abbe Vance-Appel is organizing the event in connection with a similar vigil being held in 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau’s hometown.

“I wanted to get some support from the community here and make it known here as well,” Vance-Appel said Friday. “I am hoping, for the people that haven’t seen it in the media, it will bring it to light more and kind of keep the hope alive.”

Boudreau was last seen around 5 p.m. on Jan. 27 at a Bridgewater grocery store. But police and volunteers searching the community have found no trace of the youth.

Sunday’s service, called Truro Prayer and Positive Thought Vigil for Karissa Boudreau, will include a moment of silence as well as prayers and positive messages. Participants are reminded to dress for the weather, bring candles and your own lighter or matches but use them appropriately.

Some of the people who will be attending include provincial cabinet ministers Karen Casey and Brooke Taylor as well as a representative of MP Bill Casey’s office and Troy Cook’s father Tom. Troy went missing from Bible Hill in June 1998 and has not been seen since.

The event will take place at the Sobeys parking lot on Robie Street between 4and 4:30 p.m

http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?sid=106923&sc=68

Grande

02-09-2008, 02:12 AM

Group Info Name: missing child-karissa boudreau
Type: Common Interest - Current Events

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11739276627

Discussion Board: http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=11739276627

capeislandgirl

02-09-2008, 07:47 AM

Sunday vigils for Karissa

By CATHY VON KINTZEL Truro Bureau
Sat. Feb 9 - 5:22 AM

Karissa Paige Boudreau h as been missing since Jan. 27. (Family photo)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/cathynoahsmom/aaaaaaaa.jpg

TRURO — Karissa Boudreau supporters will gather Sunday at two prayer vigils for the missing girl, one in Truro and another in Bridgewater, close to where the 12-year-old was last seen.

Salvation Army Capt. Karen Holland began organizing Bridgewater’s vigil after members of her church started talking about what they could do to support the family and community, and to heighten awareness about Karissa’s disappearance.

"Everybody feels so helpless when something like this happens so close to home," Capt. Holland said Friday.

As the mother of a 19-year-old daughter attending university in Winnipeg, she understands just make parents want to hold their children tight.

"Being a pastor and being church members, the first place we think of turning is to prayer," Capt. Holland said. "We know people are praying individually. This is a chance to pray together."

Participants will gather for the prayer and candle vigil at the Bridgewater Sobey’s parking lot at 5:30 p.m. That’s roughly the same time and place where Karissa was last seen on Jan. 27 when her mother, Penny Boudreau, popped into Sobeys to pick up a few items. When she got back to the car, Karissa was gone. The two had been arguing and went for a drive to work things out.

The girl is five feet tall, 130 pounds with straight shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black hoodie, black vest, blue jeans and pink Crocs.

Truro’s event will be held from 4 to 4:30 p.m. in the Sobeys parking lot on Robie Street.

Organizer Abbe Vance-Appel is calling it a prayer and positive-thought vigil.

The Truro Heights mother of two has been following efforts to find Karissa on numerous online Facebook sites.

"It’s a prayer vigil, it’s spiritual, it’s a gathering to focus on positive thoughts for Karissa and her family in this time of need," Ms. Vance-Appel said Friday.

"We also need to get her name and her story out there even more than it is."

( cvonkintzel@herald.ca)

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1036961.html

Grande

02-10-2008, 12:18 PM

Body found in NS identified as 12-year-old girl
Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 11:53 AM
By: 680News staff

Bridgewater, NS - Police in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, say they'll release more information Sunday about a body that was found on the outskirts of town.

Sgt. John Collyer said he contacted the family of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau, who disappeared nearly two weeks ago, but stressed that as of yesterday afternoon, the remains still hadn't been identified.

"I've spoken to Penny Boudreau, the mother of Karissa and I know notifications have been made to some of the other family members just to make them aware that human remains have been found," Collyer said.

Karissa disappeared on Jan. 27 from a grocery store parking lot across the river from where the remains were found.

http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080210_115305_5116

Grande

02-11-2008, 10:35 PM

Autopsy on Bridgewater body set for Wednesday
Updated Mon. Feb. 11 2008 6:19 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

http://i27.tinypic.com/2zivxjo.jpg

Police have not yet identified the body of a young female found near Bridgewater, N.S., saying they won't know until after the autopsy scheduled for Wednesday.

Police discovered the body during the search for 12-year-old Bridgewater resident Karissa Boudreau, who has been missing for two weeks. At about 10 p.m. local time on Saturday, police said, they removed the remains of a "young Caucasian female" from the site, which were then sent for autopsy.

The body is still at the medical examiner's office in Halifax and police have provided no indication whether they suspect the remains to be those of Boudreau. They are continuing their investigation until they are told otherwise by the coroner, Sgt. John Collyer told CTV Atlantic on Monday.

"At this point since we don't have identification on the remains, we have an open missing person's investigation," Collyer said, noting they are still following up on any leads they get about the girl's whereabouts.

Police have not given any indication of evidence of foul play and said the autopsy must wait until Wednesday because of the freezing temperatures outdoors, where the body was found.

"It's winter, so... it's in a state where the medical examiner has it now and has to wait for the appropriate time to do the autopsy," Const. Grant Webber told CTV Atlantic on Monday.

A family friend said she hopes local residents will keep Boudreau in their prayers until the body has been identified.

"I want everyone to keep praying and supporting Karissa and her family," said Wendy Rhodenizer.

Bridgewater mayor Carroll Publicover said that while the community has been united in their hope for Boudreau, they might have to start dealing with the possibility that she may not come home alive.

"I think the... anxiety level has been heightened while this period of waiting goes on," he said. "People want to believe the very best, that Karissa will be found, but we have to deal with the realities that are in front of us."

The town of roughly 8,000 people held a vigil at 5 p.m. local time in the Sobeys parking lot where Boudreau was last seen, organized by the Salvation Army.

The body was found on the bank of the Lahave River after being spotted in the snow on Saturday morning by an out-of-town driver who stopped to get his bearings. The location is on the opposite side of the river from the grocery store where Karissa was last seen.

Last week, a team of RCMP divers was sent twice to search the icy river.

Boudreau's mother has said that they had an argument on Saturday before when she went into a Sobeys grocery store, with Karissa electing to stay in the car. When her mother returned, Karissa had vanished.

Investigators have confirmed that they have been in contact with Boudreau's mother.

"I haven't spoken to her personally, but the investigators have, and I'm just hoping that she's coping," Webber said. "The community is definitely in shock."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080210/missing_girl_080210/20080211?hub=CTVNewsAt11

wheezer

02-12-2008, 01:43 AM

Police say still no positive ID on body of girl found near Bridgewater, N.S.

9 hours ago

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. - The family of a missing Nova Scotia girl should know by mid-week if a body found Saturday about a kilometre from the LaHave River is that of their daughter, 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau.

Police have confirmed the remains of a young, white female were found buried beneath snow in the woods south of Bridgewater, the town on Nova Scotia's southern shore where Boudreau was last seen two weeks ago.

Investigators have released few other details, but they confirm members of the Boudreau family have not been asked to view the remains.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Mark Gallagher says the condition of the body may make it difficult to identify.

He said an autopsy should yield a positive identity by Wednesday morning at the latest.

Karissa, a Grade 6 student at a Bridgewater elementary school, went missing Jan. 27 after a fight with her mother in a shopping mall parking lot in Bridgewater.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5joL_qV7eEud4C7grXiHNoSS0AmcA

Roamer

02-13-2008, 02:20 PM

Just checking in to see if the had positively identified the body as Karissa's. Isn't the report due today?

capeislandgirl

02-14-2008, 06:30 AM

Just checking in to see if the had positively identified the body as Karissa's. Isn't the report due today?

Yes Roamer it was but the police delayed the press conference until today. They are being extremely tight lipped about it all. Even when they identify her, they won't release many details. Canada tends to keep a lot of details from the press.

I have heard many rumors about the condition of the body and they are not good. If the rumors are true it would be homicide but who knows if they are true.

I hope they release something today, if there is a killer on the lose, people have a right to know.

Roamer

02-14-2008, 06:35 AM

Thanks, CIG. So sad for her family. :1222423:

Grande

02-14-2008, 01:23 PM

Body found in Bridgewater, N.S., that of 12-year-old girl: police
3 minutes ago

CHESTER, N.S. - Police have started a homicide investigation into the death of a 12-year-old girl whose identity was confirmed Thursday after a body was found five days ago near Bridgewater, N.S.

The RCMP and Bridgewater police said remains found buried in the snow on the outskirts of town are those of Karissa Boudreau, who vanished from a parking lot in the community on Nova Scotia's south shore on Jan. 27.

Investigators described the death as an isolated incident, but they declined to release details except to confirm that they don't have any suspects.

The results of an autopsy revealed how the girl died, but that information would not be released because it could undermine the investigation, Sgt. John Collyer of Bridgewater police told a news conference at the RCMP detachment in the area.

"I can't get into too much in the way of specifics," he said. "That's the investigators thoughts on it at this point. I can't really speculate any further."

The investigators also declined to say if the girl died the night she went missing or if she died in the place where her body was found - about a kilometre south of the LaHave River, south of Bridgewater.

However, Collyer said the body was found "within walking distance" of the girl's home.

Collyer said he knows there will be concern about safety in the community.

"I just want them to know that the full resources of the Bridgwater police service and the RCMP are involved in this investigation and we're putting all of our efforts into trying to bring this to a successful resolution," he added. "Obviously, we will do our utmost to ensure the safety of the community."

Boudreau's mother has said she and her daughter were in the parking lot of a local grocery store when they got into an argument.

Penny Boudreau said she went into the shop and when she returned about 10 minutes later, her daughter - who had never run away before - was gone.

In nearby Bridgewater, residents posted signs throughout the community urging the young girl to come home.

Police say her mother and other family members drove through the town on the day she disappeared searching for Karissa before calling police three hours later, at 8:30 p.m.

A ground search team fanned out around the area in the days that followed. Others walked the highway and riverbanks to scan for tracks.

When she disappeared, Karissa had only $2 and wasn't carrying a cellphone or purse.

The Grade 6 student, who attended Bridgewater Elementary School, was wearing pink Crocs and light clothing, just before a winter storm rolled into the region.

Penny Boudreau made two emotional public pleas for her daughter to return home or for anyone with information about her to come forward.

Friends and teachers described Karissa as a happy, friendly girl with a winning smile and a fondness for the music of the Spice Girls and Hilary Duff.

Facebook groups grew to include more than 16,000 members and countless e-mails containing an image of the girl's smiling face were sent around the globe.

An RCMP dive team was sent three times to search the icy LaHave River that runs behind the grocery store.

Karissa's parents had earlier separated, but at some point she and her mother moved to the Bridgewater area.

Her father, Paul Boudreau, has said Karissa wanted to try living with his family and moved in with him and her step-sister last year.

Mike Stewart, vice-principal at Bridgewater Elementary School, where Karissa transferred in November, said she showed initiative by becoming a peer-helper at school.

"She was out in the playground helping kids," he said in an earlier interview.

Her father described her as smart and a good student who could be a bit of a loner.

"She did have her few select friends, but most of the time she was the type of kid who was happy sitting in the room listening to music," he said in an earlier interview. "She's a pretty typical kid."

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYhF5LdvOXFdLQMIyCQpwqoem3xw

Grande

02-14-2008, 10:15 PM

12-year-old's murder leaves N.S. town reeling
Updated Thu. Feb. 14 2008 5:56 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

The death of a 12-year-old Nova Scotia girl who went missing in late January is being treated as a homicide. But while police won't say how Karissa Boudreau died, they say they're confident her murder was an isolated incident.

The body of the Grade 6 student was found near Bridgewater, N.S. last Saturday, although police only confirmed her identity after an autopsy was conducted Wednesday in Halifax. Because the body was found in sub-zero conditions, it took several days before it was in a suitable state for the procedure, police said.

She was eventually identified using dental records, police said.

Boudreau disappeared on Jan. 27 after having an argument in the parking lot of a Bridgewater shopping mall.

Penny Boudreau said she went into a grocery store after the argument and returned to her car 10 minutes later to find her daughter was missing.

Last Saturday, police said they had found the body of a "young Caucasian female" on the banks of the LaHave River, just outside the town of Bridgewater.

Following an agonizing wait and two tearful public pleas for their daughter to come home, Boudreau's parents were notified of their daughter's death at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Representatives from both the RCMP and Bridgewater Police Services spoke to media Thursday. Sgt. John Collyer, of the Bridgewater Police Service, said police have no suspects at this time.

"We're putting all our efforts into trying to bring this to a successful resolution," Collyer told reporters gathered in Chester, N.S. "The investigators feel this is an isolated incident and I would suggest Bridgewater is a pretty safe community most of the time."

CTV's Danelle Balfour reported the police say they know how Boudreau died but are keeping quiet to maintain the integrity of the investigation, which is being conducted by a combined team of Bridgewater police and RCMP officers.

Sheldon MacLeod, news director of Bridgewater radio station CKBW, said the worst part for the community is that they don't know what happened.

"A tough part of the story (is) the lack of information," he told CTV. "(The news of her murder opened) another can of worms. Is someone responsible of the death of a young girl in our community?"

The principal of Bridgewater Elementary School, where Boudreau was a student, said he sent a letter home with all the students explaining the situation to their parents and warning them to be doubly careful of their safety.

"We're coping," he told CTV Atlantic's Leah Cross. "As today winds down it's getting tougher and tougher."

By Thursday afternoon, the area where Boudreau was found was covered in teddy bears and flowers and local parents were left reeling about the safety of their own children in the wake of her killing.

"Until I know exactly what happened, I'm not letting (my children) out of my sight," one mother told CTV Atlantic.

Police are advising Bridgewater residents to be cautious, vigilant and know where loved ones are at all times

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080214/RCMP_Boudreau_080214/20080214?hub=CTVNewsAt11

capeislandgirl

02-15-2008, 07:25 AM

(BREAKING) Police have arrested two suspects in their investigation of the death of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau, whose body was found near Bridgewater. RCMP Const. Grant Webber says police executed at least two search warrants Thursday night in the Bridgewater area. Webber says the suspects will be questioned today in the homicide case, adding no charges have been laid so far. Police would not release further details. Boudreau, a Grade 6 student, vanished from a Bridgewater grocery store parking lot on Jan. 27. A passerby found human remains on Saturday buried in the snow in nearby Conqueral Bank, but a medical examiner could not confirm the identity until an autopsy was completed Wednesday.

The death of a 12-year-old girl whose remains were found in the woods outside Bridgewater two weeks after she disappeared is being investigated as a homicide. R-C-M-P and Bridgewater police say they have no suspects but they stress the death of Karissa Boudreau was an isolated incident. The Grade 6 student vanished from a parking lot in the community on Nova Scotia’s south shore on January 27th. Police are not saying anything about how the girl died or when for fear of jeopardizing their investigation. Local residents say the crime has hit them like a ton of bricks. A makeshift memorial has been set up in the parking lot from which she is believed to have disappeared.

http://www.ckbw.ca/ckbw/news.jsp

Grande

02-18-2008, 11:12 AM

Nova Scotia town frustrated by lack of information from police about 12-year-old girl's death
CAROLINE ALPHONSO
February 18, 2008

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. -- Frustration and anger has gripped this South Shore Nova Scotia town as residents look for answers in the killing of 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau, whose body was found more than a week ago buried in the snow on the bank of the frosty LaHave River.

News that two people known to the slain girl were arrested late last week and then released without charges spread quickly through Bridgewater, a community of 7,600. Police are saying little else.

Many residents flocked this weekend to a makeshift memorial, near where Karissa's body was found, to pay their respects and add to a growing number of stuffed animals and bouquets of flowers.

"I'm hoping they will charge someone pretty soon. The town is pretty torn up about this," said Ian Grant, who stopped by with his six-year-old daughter, Aliya. "People are quite pissed off. It shouldn't have happened."

Karissa's body was found Feb. 9, three weeks after her mother reported her missing and then made a tearful plea for the girl to return home.

Penny Boudreau has said she went into a grocery store after she and her daughter got into an argument in the car. When she returned, Karissa was gone.

Police confirmed Karissa was the victim of a homicide - Bridgewater's first in 15 years - but they have declined to reveal how the girl died. Investigators last week searched the third-floor rental apartment where Karissa lived with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Vernon MacCumber.

Sources say Ms. Boudreau and Mr. MacCumber were also questioned by police.

When a reporter buzzed the apartment of Ms. Boudreau and her boyfriend yesterday, Mr. MacCumber answered. When asked for comment he said, "Sorry ma'am, not at this time."

At the roadside memorial this weekend, a tearful Dorothy Bragg said residents are hoping there will be a resolution to this tragedy soon. The town, Ms. Bragg said, feels "terrible. That poor little girl." Joanne, who has lived in Bridgewater for three years, echoed the sentiment. "No child deserves this," she said, declining to give her last name.

Karissa's death has not only left this town reeling, but moved hundreds of strangers across the country, many of whom have posted comments on Facebook.

Her funeral is to be held tomorrow in Barrington. Karissa's father, Paul Boudreau, has asked that her body be released into his care. Karissa lived with him in Shelburne, N.S., before moving in with her mother in November.

A source of frustration for town residents has been that Bridgewater police and the RCMP, who are working together on the case, are tight-lipped about the investigation, including whether Karissa was killed where she was found or if her body was brought there after dark.

Sergeant John Collyer of the Bridgewater police said that while he understands the restlessness of those in town, investigators are working around the clock to make sure they have enough evidence before laying charges. Tips continue to flow in, he said.

"The case is moving forward. It's going to take as long as it's going to take," Sgt. Collyer said.

"Obviously we would hope for a quick resolution. We are going to do everything possible to bring this to a resolution. Sometimes these things, they take a while."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080218.GIRL18/TPStory/National

Grande

02-18-2008, 11:14 AM

Mon, February 18, 2008
Funeral for slain girl
By CP

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. -- Nova Scotia's south shore prepared for 12-year-old Karissa Boudreau's funeral tomorrow while police pressed ahead in their investigation.

The funeral is planned in Barrington, and Karissa will be buried in nearby Clark's Harbour, a funeral home said.

The Grade 6 student's frozen body was found Feb. 9 in the woods outside Bridgewater. Police call it a homicide.

http://torontosun.com/News/Canada/2008/02/18/4856055-sun.html

capeislandgirl

02-19-2008, 09:25 PM

Go to the Top stories section and it has video of Karissa's funeral under final farewell. The mayor of our little town and a friend of mine Kim Ross speaks about the white ribbons for her family

http://shows.ctv.ca/2007/

capeislandgirl

02-19-2008, 09:31 PM

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/02/19/girl-funeral.html

http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-185504-Goodbye-to-Karissa.html

http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=n021982A&newsitemid=34368022&languageid=1

another video
http://southshorenow.ca/newsnowclips/play.php?vid=100

capeislandgirl

06-14-2008, 12:34 PM

Arrest made in Karissa Boudreau killing
Police plan news conference for later today
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Sat. Jun 14 - 1:08 PM

BRIDGEWATER — An arrest has been made in the mysterious case of Karissa Boudreau, the 12-year-old Nova Scotia girl whose frozen body was found in February near Bridgewater after a two-week search.

The RCMP and Bridgewater police issued a statement Saturday scheduling a news conference at 3 p.m. at the Bridgewater town hall to report ``significant progress'' in the murder case.
The statement confirmed police had arrested a ``person of interest'' in Halifax, but no other details were released.

Karissa was reported missing Jan. 27 from a supermarket parking lot in Bridgewater, a small town of 8,000 along Nova Scotia's South Shore.

Her mother, Penny Boudreau, told police she had argued with her daughter and then went into the store, leaving the young girl in a car.

When she returned, Karissa was gone.

Within days, Penny Boudreau made two tearful pleas for her daughter to come home or for anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward.

The girl's body was found Feb. 9 by a passerby who spotted human remains partially concealed beneath snow on a steep bank of the LaHave River just south of the town.

An autopsy revealed how the girl died, but police have not released details, saying it could undermine their investigation.

Within weeks of her death, two people known to Karissa were questioned by police, but they were later released without charges.

On Feb. 25, Penny Boudreau was taken to hospital with an undisclosed condition. She was later released and declined to speak to the media.

Since then, the town has buzzed with rumours about the killing and police have come under intense pressure to reveal details of their investigation.

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007224.html