The RCMP are turning to the public for help after the body of a woman seen recently in Didsbury was discovered 54 kilometres northeast of Radium, B.C., along Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park.
Brenda Ware, 35, was found deceased on Thursday, May 6 in southeastern B.C., said police in a press release issued this evening (May 8).
“The B.C. RCMP Southeast District (SED) Major Crime Unit has taken custody of this suspicious death investigation,” reads a portion of the statement.
The investigation determined Ware was known to have been in Didsbury before travelling to Kootenay National Park in B.C., where her vehicle and body were found.
Police could not immediately confirm where she was from in a follow up inquiry. Her Facebook page said she lived in Cremona and worked as a hairstylist at Studio 104 in Sundre.
B.C. RCMP spokesperson Dawn Roberts told The Albertan police are trying to establish a timeline to gain insight on what might have happened as the nature of the death is currently considered suspicious.
"Right now, we are dealing with a suspicious death investigation," Roberts said during a phone interview.
Although the coroner will ultimately determine the cause of death, she emphasized police consider the circumstances suspicious.
Investigators are requesting assistance from the public and information from anyone who saw Ware from Tuesday, May 4 to Thursday, May 6, or her vehicle -- a red 2019 Jeep Cherokee with Alberta licence plate YPC553.
It is also not confirmed whether Ware was travelling alone, and Roberts said police had not yet discounted anything during the early stages of the investigation.
Ware is described as being 5 foot 1 (155 centimetres), 108 pounds (49 kilograms), with blue eyes and brown hair.
“We are hoping someone may have seen Brenda or her car prior to her death", said Roberts in the press release.
"We would also like to speak to anybody who may have encountered hitchhikers in that area or has dash camera video of driving through Kootenay National Park on May 5 or 6.”
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is encouraged to contact the SED Major Crime Unit's information line at 1-877-987-8477.
