THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON - RCMP investigators have discovered that two British Columbia women who disappeared three years ago were last seen in West Edmonton Mall. Rene Gunning, 22, and Krystle Knott, 19, met at the mall, befriended each other and decided to hitchhike together back home to northern British Columbia on February 18, 2005, said Cpl. Wayne Oakes.
"Given the length of time without contact, both disappearances are being treated as suspicious."
Both women are now cases in Project Kare, an RCMP task force devoted to solving killings or disappearances of people in high-risk lifestyles. Oakes said Gunning and Knott fall into that category only because of their habit of hitchhiking back and forth from Alberta to British Columbia.
Both Gunning and Knott are aboriginal and from B.C.'s Fort St. John- Dawson Creek area. Gunning has a son; Knott has no children.
The women did not know each other before meeting at the mall, said Oakes.
"The pair told their respective friends that they were hitchhiking back to either Dawson Creek or Fort St. John. It is not known if the pair actually departed the mall area on Feb. 18."
A missing person file was created for Gunning in British Columbia in which was added to Project Kare last July when the Alberta link became apparent. A file for Knott was created at Project Kare.
Oakes says Project Kare is now investigating about 35 missing persons cases of people involved in high-risk lifestyles.
