Bobby Jack Fowler Highway of Tears investigation stalled
Deceased U.S. convict linked to 3 B.C. deaths in Highway of Tears investigation in B.C.
An RCMP investigation into a U.S. man suspected in several killings along the so-called Highway of Tears in northern B.C. appears to have stalled.
Last year, police revealed Bobby Jack Fowler's DNA had tied him to the killing of Colleen MacMillen, 16, who was found dead near 100 Mile House in 1974.
Police said Fowler, who died in an Oregon prison in 2006, was also a strong suspect in the 1973 deaths of at least two other young women, Gale Weys and Pamela Darlington.
Staff Sgt. Wayne Clary, who heads the investigation into 18 murdered or missing women along B.C. highways, says hundreds of tips received since police went public have gone nowhere.
“We talked to, I think, every one of his family members that is still alive, including ex-wives. We got quite an interesting background as to his activities — like, he was a very bad guy. Mind you, he's one of many that roam around this country and inflict this damage on women,” Clary said.
"Unfortunately nothing panned out that would sort of further any of our investigations.”
Clary says Fowler remains a strong suspect in the deaths of Darlington and Weys, but nothing more.
In Oregon — where Fowler was convicted of kidnapping, assault and attempted rape in 1996 — Det. Ron Benson says Fowler has been all but eliminated as a suspect from the two 1995 killings he was believed to have been involved in.
"We're stalled right now until we find something new.”
Fowler was also charged with two counts of murder in Texas in 1969, but was only convicted of discharging a firearm in city limits.
Clary says it may never be known if Fowler was involved in any other deaths.
"I think, unfortunately, he may have taken this information to the grave with him.”