RCMP at Dean Penney's house on eve of 'significant update' in Jennifer Hillier-Penney case

Police were stationed outside the home of Dean Penney in St. Anthony, N.L., on Friday night, on the eve of what the RCMP is calling a "significant update" in the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Hillier-Penney seven years ago.

Residents in the area told CBC News there were two RCMP vehicles outside the house on Husky Drive as of 8 p.m. NT — one marked and one unmarked.

Hours before, the RCMP announced it would it would give an update on the case 11:30 a.m. Saturday in St. John's. 

CBC News has also learned on Friday that RCMP boats had been working around Northwest Arm earlier in the week, near where Penney had a cabin.

RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jolene Garland told CBC News she could not speak about the presence of RCMP boats in the area but did say Saturday's announcement will be news the public and Hillier-Penney's family will want to hear.

Garland also couldn't say if Hillier-Penney's family members would be at the announcement and had initially said RCMP Insp. Tracy Edwards would be, but later clarified she wasn't certain who would be acting as the spokesperson on Saturday.

Seven-year case

Hillier-Penney, 38, was last seen at Penney's house on Husky Drive on Nov. 30, 2016. At the time, she had moved in with her father and was beginning a separation. She was at the house watching her youngest daughter while Penney was duck hunting at their cabin in nearby Northwest Arm.

Two weeks before her disappearance, Hillier-Penney had taken Penney off her life insurance policy, leaving her two daughters as the sole beneficiaries.

In 2018, the RCMP told The Fifth Estate they estimate that Hillier-Penney disappeared shortly after arriving at Penney's home that night — about 8 p.m. They believe she was murdered. Police have never publicly named a suspect.

Earlier this year, CBC News reported the RCMP had received an extension to hold on to items like mittens, bed sheets and chest waders — potential evidence in Hillier-Penney's disappearance.

Those items were also items linked to Penney.

A year ago, police affidavits filed at Supreme Court in Corner Brook shed more light on what physical evidence the RCMP had. On Dec. 7, 2016 — seven days after Hillier-Penney disappeared — the RCMP seized swabs, pillow casings and bed sheets from Penney's home. Later that same month, officers focused their attention on a vehicle and cabin linked to Penney.

In a past interview with CBC News, Hillier-Penney's eldest daughter Marina Goodyear said she was concerned she'd never find out what happened to her mother.

"If they had anything that could end this, it would be already done by now," said Goodyear.

"I think the biggest mistakes were already made in the beginning that we're never going to recover from. And I truly believe they're just waiting for somebody to crack and not be able to hold the secret anymore and [are] playing the waiting game for that, you know?"

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.