Jacqueline Clara Crazybull, a 43-year-old Indigenous mother known as Jackie to her friends and family, was remembered as an incredibly strong woman who deeply embodied her Blackfoot culture and language. A member of the Blood Tribe, she was a mother to nine children. Her family described her as someone who loved unconditionally and was always trying to help others. Her sister, Sandra Manyfeathers, said Jackie taught her "to never give up and to stand for injustice."
On the evening of July 11, 2007, Jackie was waiting for a bus near the corner of 17th Avenue and 11th Street S.W. in Calgary, Alberta. In what police described as a random and violent rampage, a group of assailants attacked five people in the area that night. The attackers reportedly used a ruse, engaging their victims in conversation before stabbing them. Four people were injured in the spree, but Jackie was the only one who did not survive.
She died from a single stab wound.
The Calgary Police Service launched a homicide investigation and, in the years immediately following the murder, kept in close contact with Jackie's family. Investigators identified three suspects connected to the series of stabbings, and it was reported that there were witnesses and video footage of the incident that killed Jackie. Despite this, no charges have ever been laid in her death, and as time went on, the family said communication from the police became infrequent.
In the face of their profound loss, Jackie’s loved ones have tirelessly fought to keep her memory alive and to demand accountability. Every year, they organize the "Justice for Jackie" walk, a memorial procession that travels along 17th Avenue to the spot where she was killed. The event serves as a call for justice not only for Jackie but for all Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. Her sister Beverly Crazy Bull has spoken of the family's continued suffering and their need for closure.
The years without answers have been especially hard on her children. Her son Clifford Crowchild, who was only five years old at the time of her death, has had to get to know his mother through news articles and family stories. He has honored her at the annual walks by performing traditional dances. Another son, Ian Devine, said he marches for his own children, to be a voice for them and for anyone who has had to deal with a similar tragedy. Jackie never had the chance to meet her grandchildren.
"It's starting to feel like a life sentence for our family, knowing that there has never been anybody charged in Jackie's murder," Sandra Manyfeathers stated in an interview. The family believes there are people who have information about what happened and have pleaded with them to come forward. "How could you live 14 years knowing that you have murdered somebody?" Manyfeathers asked.
As of October 2026, nineteen years after her death, Jacqueline Crazybull's case remains unsolved. Her family continues their annual walk, a solemn and powerful demonstration of their love for her and their unwavering hope that justice will one day be served. Community members who never knew Jackie personally join the family to show their support and echo the call to resolve the cold case.
