Police plead for info on 1998 murder of Evelyn Stewart in Winnipeg

The police task force behind Project Devote — an investigation into missing and murdered persons in Manitoba — is asking the public for information on the 17-year-old murder of Evelyn Stewart. 

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The task force has conducted more than 130 interviews in the case but believe there are more people out there who can help them.

"I have to admit some of those people have been interviewed not once, not twice, [but] some three times and we'll talk to them four or five or six, seven times," said Winnipeg police Detective-Sergeant Randy Levasseur, the lead investigator on the case.

Stewart, 25, was found just after 5 a.m. on the morning of March 20, 1998, in the parking lot of Gateway Industries on Point Douglas Avenue, by employees of the company. She was still alive but was suffering from massive trauma to the head.

The trauma was so severe that the first officers on the scene couldn't determine whether the victim was a man or a woman.

Stewart was pronounced dead 45 minutes later in hospital.

"We believe her killer was known to her and that this was not a random attack. Someone needs to step forward and help solve the murder of Evelyn Stewart," said Levasseur.

Stewart had an addiction to street drugs and supported the habit through the sex trade, police said. She was known to frequent the hotels and bars on the Main Street strip, including the Northern, Sutherland and Mount Royal hotels, as well as the area of Higgins Avenue just east of Main Street.

Investigations involving sex trade workers are often challenging because "their activities immediately prior to their death are hard to establish and previous customers are not likely or willing to step forward with information," police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Project Devote tipline at 1-888-673-3316, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

Project Devote

Project Devote was launched in 2012, looking into the cases of eight missing persons and 20 homicide victims.

Each of the cases, some dating back to 1961, involves a victim of high or extremely high risk due to lifestyle, police said when they launched the investigation in 2012.

The task force also examined 84 cases involving women, reducing that to 27.

It also reviewed 112 cases of male victims but only one — William Weinbender, 46 — fit the scope of Project Devote, police said at the time.

Five criteria are considered before a case becomes a part of Project Devote:

• Substance abuse.
• Transient lifestyle.
• Hitchhiking.
• Mental health issues.
• Involvement in the sex trade.

Cherisse Houle, 17

Cherisse Houle, 17, is another case being investigated as part of Project Devote.

Houle's body was found in a stream near Rosser, Man. in July of 2009. 

At first, her mom was critical of the task force.

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​​But Barbara Houle said that communication has improved since finally meeting with Project Devote in November of 2014.

Houle said Monday's announcement gives her hope that her daughter's killer will be found.

"Now they're informing the families first, not just a specific family, because ... as soon as somebody hears 'oh, they're going to announce something,' all the families are hoping it's going to relate to their case," said Houle.

Levasseur and the task force believe there are still people out there that know details about the murders of Houle and Stewart.

"We believe there is still more people out there that we possibly haven't spoken to or that we have spoken to and are simply showing a reluctance or think they have nothing further to add," said Levasseur.

A national roundtable discussion on Canada's murdered and missing aboriginal women is scheduled to take place this week in Ottawa.