Velma Marie DUNCAN Missing Person Case

Velma Marie

DUNCAN

72

18

61 inches

61 inches

110 lbs

110 lbs

Indigenous

Female

In the spring of 1972, a young, expectant mother named Velma Marie Duncan, a vibrant 18-year-old from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation, disappeared from Williams Lake, British Columbia. At the time, she was in her first trimester, pregnant with twins. Velma, who was born on April 4, 1954, was described as being 5'1" tall and weighing around 110 pounds, with long brown hair that she often wore in a bun, and brown eyes. She had traveled to Williams Lake from the Gang Ranch/Canoe Creek area, reportedly after a disagreement with her common-law husband. Having hitchhiked to her sister's home, she arrived on or around May 3rd or 4th. The evening of her arrival, she and her sister spent time in the downtown area. The last known sighting of Velma was of her walking into a local bar. The circumstances surrounding Velma's disappearance are unsettling. She left behind all of her personal belongings at her sister's residence, including her wallet and identification, suggesting she had no intention of leaving for an extended period. Her family has expressed that she was looking forward to the birth of her twins and was not depressed at the time she went missing. In the years that followed her disappearance, there has been no contact with her loved ones, and no record of her using any services under her name. The lack of any new information or leads has left her family in a painful state of limbo, desperate for answers. Velma's brother, Isidore Felix Kalelest, remembers his younger sister leaving their shared residence on the outskirts of Williams Lake, saying she would see him later. He does not believe she is still alive and is convinced she was murdered. He has expressed frustration with the investigation, feeling that more could have been done by the police, particularly when her boyfriend was still alive. Her common-law partner was a person of interest in community discussions, but no resolution was ever reached. Velma's case is a tragic example of the many Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing in Canada, their stories often left untold and their cases unsolved. The silence surrounding her disappearance has stretched on for decades, a painful void for a family that continues to seek closure.

May 03, 1972

Between Williams Lake and Gang Ranch area

British Columbia

Williams Lake RCMP

Williams Lake

British Columbia

250-392-6211

250-392-6211

Law Enforcement

1996-7355

Williams Lake RCMP

Brown

Brown

Brown

Hair details: Long

No