‘The case is not closed’: Vancouver police defend Chelsea Poorman investigation

Vancouver Police have responded to criticism over the department’s handling of the Chelsea Poorman’s case.

Chelsea, a 24-year-old Indigenous woman missing since September 2020, was found dead outside a vacant home in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood last month.

“The Vancouver Police Department began investigating Chelsea’s disappearance the day she was reported missing, and didn’t stop looking for her until she was discovered,” said Cst. Tania Visintin, with the VPD.

“A number of investigative techniques were used to gather evidence and information that might lead to Chelsea’s whereabouts or provide insight about why she disappeared. As investigators, we must always render our findings based on facts and evidence.”

Visintin said both the VPD’s Missing Persons Unit and Major Crime Section were involved in the case and added “there is insufficient evidence right now to suggest her death was the result of a crime.”

“We know this news is unlikely to satisfy family, friends, and community members who knew Chelsea, loved her, and believe her death must have been the result of foul play. The case is not closed,” said Visintin.

“We are still investigating and any leads or tips should be forwarded to police.”

After police confirmed Chelsea’s death, her family and many advocates said they were left unsatisfied with the investigation and unhappy with how the police declared the case non-suspicious.

Diana Day, lead matriarch of the Pacific Association of First Nations Women, said it didn’t make sense how the police came to their conclusion.

“I was quite concerned and appalled and shocked that they would consider it non-suspicious,” said Day. “Seems like common sense to me that it would be a suspicious death.”

Day added that there was a pattern of Indigenous missing persons being deemed non-suspicious and asked “Why is it not suspicious when our people go missing?”

Related links:

• ‘Vancouver Police must issue an apology to Chelsea’s family for their lack of action,’ FSIN says

• ‘Why is it not suspicious when our people go missing?’: Questions remain at Chelsea Poorman vigil

• ‘A lot of unanswered questions’: Tragic end to search for Chelsea Poorman in Vancouver

Chelsea’s mother, Sheila, also has questions about the case and hopes to find answers.

“We don’t know how she died … She was just there and she just died without trying to call for help? That’s not Chelsea. She’s been put in some dangerous situations, but she always found a way to reach out to her family. No matter what was going on, she always found a way to get out of situations and call us. For her to be just there, for who knows how long … a lot of unanswered questions,” she told CityNews.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations released a statement, saying the police should apologize to the family and believes Chelsea was a victim of murder.

“The Vancouver Police must issue an apology to Chelsea’s family for their lack of action,” the FSIN said.

“Too many of our mothers, daughters, sister have been taken and murdered, and we have gotten no answers as to what happened. This needs to end.”

Related video:

With files from Denise Wong and Katarina Szulc