British Columbia

Missing Indigenous woman from northern B.C. found dead, police confirm

An Indigenous woman who has been missing from New Hazelton, B.C., since late 2018 was found dead earlier this year, Mounties have confirmed.

Cynthia Martin, 50, was last seen in New Hazelton on the night of Dec. 23, 2018

A missing person handout photo provided by RCMP shows a middle-aged Indigenous woman with grey streaks in her hair. She is wearing a black shirt and smiling at the camera.
Cynthia Martin, 50, was last seen in New Hazelton on Dec. 23, 2018. Her remains were discovered on May 1, 2022. (Submitted by B.C. RCMP)

An Indigenous woman who has been missing from New Hazelton, B.C., since late 2018 was found dead earlier this year, Mounties have confirmed.

Human remains discovered on May 1 have now been identified as those of Cynthia Martin, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

Police say their investigation into how Martin died remains active, and the B.C. Coroners Service is also investigating.

Martin was 50 years old when she was last seen on the night of Dec. 23, 2018, in New Hazelton.

At the time, police said they were very concerned about her well-being, as her family said it was out of character for her to be out of touch for so long.

RCMP are asking anyone with information about what happened to Martin to call the New Hazelton detachment at 250-842-5244.