Jennifer Leigh CATCHEWAY Missing Person Case

Jennifer Leigh

CATCHEWAY

36

18

67 inches

67 inches

165 lbs

165 lbs

Indigenous

Female

On what should have been a day of celebration, Jennifer Leigh Catchway, a young Indigenous woman from Manitoba, vanished. The morning of June 19, 2008, was her 18th birthday, and she called her mother, full of excitement about the barbecue planned for that evening at her family's home in Portage la Prairie. That phone call was the last time her family would ever hear her voice. Jennifer was a member of the Skownan First Nation, known for being close to her family and responsible, often leaving notes to let them know her whereabouts. Believing she was nearby in Portage la Prairie, her family was shocked when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police later traced her birthday morning call to Grand Rapids, a community over 400 miles away. She had traveled there with her uncle, Charles Parenteau, and a cousin, Shawn Catcheway, and photographs from a party placed her in the area. She never arrived at her own birthday party, beginning a long and painful journey for her loved ones. The initial response from law enforcement was a source of deep frustration for the family. When her mother first reported her missing, her concerns were reportedly dismissed, with an officer suggesting her 18-year-old daughter was "probably on a drunk" and would return in a week. The family has stated that crucial early stages of the investigation were mishandled, with investigators failing to take statements from key family members for a full month after she disappeared. In the weeks that followed Jennifer's disappearance, her uncle and cousin were arrested but were later released without any charges being filed. Accounts of her last moments are conflicting; one states she was last seen getting into a truck on the Dakota Tipi First Nation, while her uncle claimed he dropped her off near the Waterhen Junction on Highway 6. Years later, in 2015, the uncle, Charles Parenteau, was murdered. In the many years since Jennifer was last seen, her case has been classified by the RCMP as a suspected homicide, though her remains have never been found. The silence from law enforcement has often been deafening for her parents, Bernice and Wilfred Catcheway, who have expressed that they often don't even know which detective is assigned to their daughter's case. Fueled by an unwavering determination to bring their daughter home, they have taken on the investigation themselves. They have conducted countless independent searches across Manitoba, excavating landfills and exploring remote areas like Duck Bay based on tips they've received. The family tirelessly raises funds to support their search efforts, holding annual fundraisers and maintaining a social media presence to keep Jennifer's story alive. This case is an agonizing story of a young woman's life cut short on the day she was to celebrate a milestone birthday, and the unending quest of a family left with unanswered questions, who continue to plead for any piece of information that might finally lead them to Jennifer.

Shirt Green, White, Striped Tattoo Left Hand, "J" scraped into skin Tattoo Left Ankle, Letters "JC"

Jun 19, 2008

Grand Rapids

Manitoba

Portage La Prairie RCMP ; (204) 986-6250;

Manitoba

[email protected]

(204) 857-4445

(204) 857-4445

Law Enforcement

2008725791

Portage La Prairie RCMP ; (204) 986-6250;

Brown

Brown

Brown

Build: Slender/Thin; Hair details: Straight

No