Dawn Teresa CREY Missing Person Case

Dawn Teresa

CREY

67

42

63 inches

63 inches

108 lbs

108 lbs

Indigenous

Female

In the fall of 2000, a 42-year-old Indigenous woman named Dawn Teresa Crey vanished from the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia. A member of the Cheam First Nations, Dawn was last seen in the vicinity of Main and Hastings streets, a resident of a neighborhood she had known for over two decades. The exact date of her disappearance remains uncertain, though it is placed around November of that year. Her absence became officially noted on December 11, 2000, when her doctor reported her missing after she failed to show up for a medical appointment. Authorities acknowledged that Dawn was living a "high-risk" lifestyle at the time, and from the outset, foul play was strongly suspected in her case. Dawn's life was marked by profound hardship from a very young age. As a child, she witnessed the sudden death of her father, a traumatic event that contributed to lifelong mental health and substance abuse issues. After being placed in foster care, she eventually found herself on the streets of the Downtown Eastside. Her struggles were compounded by a horrific acid attack in her hotel room that left her with permanent scars on her face and body. Despite these challenges, Dawn was a mother to a son who was raised by her foster family and was survived by loving siblings who would later fight tirelessly for answers. Before her disappearance, she had expressed concerns to her doctor that she did not feel safe at her residence, the Balmoral Hotel. The investigation into Dawn Crey's disappearance took a significant turn when her case became linked to the investigation of serial killer Robert Pickton. In 2004, investigators confirmed they had found Dawn's DNA on clothing discovered at Pickton's pig farm in Port Coquitlam. This discovery was a devastating blow to her family, confirming their worst fears about her fate. Although police investigators recommended murder charges be laid against Pickton in connection with her death, the Crown did not approve them, citing that there was not enough of her DNA to proceed with a murder charge at his trial. Consequently, no one has been held accountable for her disappearance and death. Dawn Crey is still officially listed as a missing person, her case a painful and unresolved chapter in the larger tragedy of Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women. Her brother, Ernie Crey, became a prominent advocate, speaking out about the systemic failures and biases that allowed a predator to target vulnerable women and the police's slow initial response to the disappearances.

Scar Head, Burn mark on face

Nov 01, 2000

Vancouver

British Columbia

Vancouver Police Department

Vancouver

British Columbia

[email protected]

604-717-2530

604-717-2530

Law Enforcement

MIS 00-280034

Vancouver Police Department

Brown

Build: Slender/Thin; Complexion: Pimples/Pockmarked; Hair details: Short

No