Remains of missing woman Chelsea Poorman found at vacant Vancouver home
CTV
The search for a young Indigenous woman has ended in tragedy after her remains were found at a vacant home in Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighbourhood.
The search for a young Indigenous woman has ended in tragedy after her remains were found at a vacant home in Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighbourhood.
For 24-year-old Chelsea Poorman's grieving family, the discovery brought little closure – only new questions.
"We still don't know what happened to her," said Sheila Poorman, the young woman's mother. "I don't know if we'll ever find out."
Contractors spotted Chelsea's remains on April 22, while working on a property near Granville Street and West 37th Avenue, an expensive part of the city lined with multimillion-dollar homes.
Her identity was later confirmed through DNA testing, and authorities notified her family on Friday morning before making a public announcement.
"This is not the outcome anyone wanted. We always hoped Chelsea would be found alive, and our sympathies go out to everyone who knew Chelsea, loved her, and hoped she would come home safely," Sgt. Steve Addison of the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
He later told reporters that Chelsea’s skeleton had been found outside the home in a heavily wooded area, and that toxicology and other analysis would not be possible on her remains, but that Vancouver police would be providing "personal details" to the family in the coming days.
