Why did Madison Scott die? 13 years later, there are still no answers

For 13 years, the mystery of what happened to Madison Scott haunted the community of Vanderhoof, B.C., which is about 80 kilometres west of Prince George and 530 kilometres north of Vancouver.

Described as a vibrant and kind 20-year-old, Scott vanished from a remote campsite in May 2011.

A dozen years later, in May 2023, her remains were discovered at a rural property about 16 kilometres from where she went missing.

Now, one year after the tragic discovery, there are still no answers about her disappearance and death. 

Scott disappeared after celebrating a friend's birthday at Hogsback Lake, a group campsite popular with locals, that's roughly 25 kilometres southeast of Vanderhoof.

Scott had been texting with her parents during the party, but they could not reach her the next day. She was reported missing on May 29, when her tent and truck were found abandoned at the campsite.

There were extensive searches by air, ground, and water, using helicopters, horses and all-terrain vehicles.

The exhaustive campaign to find Scott continued for 12 years. Missing posters with Scott's face featured on billboards across northern B.C. Her family offered a $100,000 reward and there were annual searches and international media coverage.

But answers about how Scott disappeared — and why she died — remained elusive. 

Then, one year ago this week — there was the first break in the case: RCMP said Scott's remains had been found on a rural property, about 18 kilometres from the campsite where she was last seen.

Police provided no details, saying only that they were now serving a search warrant on the property. For more than three weeks, RCMP cruisers, unmarked trucks, and a white tent canopy were visible from a gravel road near the property.

The community mourned Scott's death publicly, with the municipal flag at Vanderhoof city hall lowered to half-mast. More than 1,000 people attended a vigil for Scott.

And many local people believed the mystery surrounding Scott's disappearance and death would soon be solved — and charges laid.

In a statement posted to social media this week, the Scott family said, "While finding Maddy has yielded some relief, it has generated many other questions that remain unsolved.

"We are forever grateful for the ongoing love and support we have had over the last 13 years. We are unwavering in our belief that justice will be obtained."

The RCMP declined a CBC News interview this week. In a written statement Tuesday, RCMP North District Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said police "appreciate the public's interest in the case," and hope to provide further details in the future.

Vanderhoof Mayor Kevin Moutray says he has full confidence in the RCMP.

"As we know with police investigations, a year isn't a lot of time. They're doing what they need to do in the investigation and hopefully that will come to fruition soon, and the justice system will do what it needs to do, and [we will] see some justice happen," said Moutray.

Lynne Stuart is a women's counsellor and executive director of the Omineca Safe Home Society in Vanderhoof, where she works with women experiencing violence.

Stuart says Scott's death is a tragedy that's part of a pattern of violence against women in the area. And she wants answers from police.

"What we hear from the ladies that we serve, and from people who were friends with Madison, is just a frustration and ... a lot of concern. Why did it take so long to find her?" said Stuart.

"Now there is this disbelief — why is it still taking so long? I realize these things take time but what is disheartening is the complete lack of information," she said.

In their written statement, RCMP said a special Major Crime unit is working with the Vanderhoof detachment on an investigation that remains "active and ongoing."

RCMP say they "need further help to find justice" and are seeking tips and new information from the public about Madison's disappearance.