In the summer of 1990, a 15-year-old girl named Charlene Catholique, a member of the Łútselk'e Dene First Nation, vanished without a trace. Hailing from the fly-in community of Łútselk'e, Northwest Territories, Charlene was described as a quiet, friendly, and outgoing teenager who enjoyed outdoor activities. In July of that year, she traveled to Yellowknife to attend the Dene National Assembly in Dettah.
After the assembly, she went to what was then known as Fort Rae with some other teenagers. On July 22, 1990, she was last seen on Highway 3 near the Rae Access Road, attempting to hitchhike back to Yellowknife. An acquaintance reportedly saw her and told her to wait while they went to get a vehicle to pick her up, but when they returned, Charlene was gone. She was wearing a blue nylon jacket with white sleeves, a neon pink cotton sweatshirt, acid-washed blue jeans, and white running shoes.
The years that followed were filled with anguish and a desperate search for answers for Charlene's family. Her father, Joe Catholique, tirelessly sought to find his daughter, even traveling to five states in the U.S. to put up missing person posters at his own expense. The family felt that the official investigation lacked the urgency and dedication it deserved. Joe Catholique stopped communicating with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about his daughter's case in 2008, feeling as though he was 'talking to a wall'. Tragically, he passed away without ever knowing what became of Charlene. Over the many years, the case has seen numerous investigators, with reports suggesting that more than a dozen lead investigators and upwards of 250 investigators in total have been involved, yet the file remains unsolved.
Despite the passage of time, the investigation into Charlene's disappearance remains open and is now handled by the Northwest Territories RCMP Historical Case Unit. Foul play is suspected in her case. In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories declared Charlene legally dead on June 9, 2017. This declaration, however, did not close the case, which is now considered a suspected homicide. On the 30th anniversary of her disappearance in July 2020, the RCMP issued a renewed call for public assistance. In September of the same year, investigators conducted an operation in an area of interest near Behchokǫ̀. The overview of this case is one of a young Indigenous girl who vanished from a roadside, leaving behind a heartbroken family and a community with unanswered questions. The lack of resolution for decades highlights the painful reality for many families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as her family continues to hope for answers and justice for Charlene.Last Seen: Jul 22, 1990
