Jennifer Catcheway: Searchers scour First Nation for clues about missing woman

The search for an indigenous woman who has been missing for seven years continued on a Manitoba First Nation Sunday.

Jennifer Catcheway went missing on June 18, 2008. She had phoned her mother earlier in the day to say she was heading home to Portage la Prairie to celebrate her 18th birthday with family. She never arrived and has been missing ever since.

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In October, the Catcheways received a tip Jennifer might be located on Dakota Tipi First Nation. That launched several searches in the community.

Searchers again focused their attention on Dakota Tipi First Nation Sunday after digging in certain parts of the community over the last few weeks.

"It's hard. I'm tired and I'm sick of this," Bernice Catcheway, Jennifer's mother, told CBC News. "I'm sick of it, but we have to keep on going, regardless of how I feel. Jennifer is still out there."

The Catcheway family and a group of volunteers scoured the First Nation looking for clues. At one point they stumbled across some bones that turned out to be from an animal.

Despite being no closer to finding Jennifer, Bernice said she's grateful for all the support the family has received.

"I see searchers here, I don't even know. Were' just so happy we have extra eyes, extra feet. They are looking; I am thankful," Bernice said.

The RCMP investigation into Jennifer's disappearance is ongoing, but the Catcheways think more needs to be done.

Bernice and others believe someone out there knows what happened to Jennifer.

"Somebody is sitting back allowing us to go through this hellish nightmare," Bernice said. "What kind of human being does that ... it's tormenting."

The Catcheway family said they plan to continue searching until the snow settles in for winter. If they don't find anything, the search will resume in the spring of 2016.