Wanda Fourstar and Christy Napope at the site where Napope’s body was found. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
About a dozen of Troy Napope’s friends and family shed tears outside Prince Albert on Wednesday as RCMP searchers brought them the closure they’ve been hoping for and fearing for the past 10 months.
Napope, 23, was last seen in May of 2015, and since then two men have been arrested for his murder.
Wednesday morning, the RCMP told the public they would have a presence in an area west of the Prince Albert Penitentiary as they used specialized equipment to search for Napope’s body.
The RCMP’s underwater recovery team was only an hour into their search when they located what they believe are Napope’s remains in a slough about five kilometres west of the Penitentiary.
That afternoon, his aunt Wanda Fourstar and about twelve others went to the site where Napope’s body was found.
Fourstar cried while she spoke about the location, saying “it’s ugly just knowing that he was just right here. And I drive by here at least once a week.”
Napope’s teen sister Christy was also out there, and said it’s painful to see the place her brother’s body has been for nearly 11 months.
“It was hard knowing because I would too drive around here, and yet he was just in that pond,” Christy said.
By recovering his remains, the RCMP provided the family with some comfort that they’ll be able to put him to rest. Still, Fourstar says she’s been through an emotional rollercoaster.
“It’s a dark, gloomy feeling this past 11 months, lost and not wanting to do anything, not wanting to go anywhere, crying. But at least we have him now and we can lay him to rest,” she said.
Less than 100 metres away from where Fourstar and Christy spoke, the RCMP continued their underwater investigation.
“I’m heartbroken and I’m sad that I won’t see my brother again,” Christy said, noting that Troy left behind a young son.
The identity of the remains have yet to confirmed through an autopsy, which is scheduled for Friday.
Two men have already been charged with murder for Troy’s disappearance, and there’s been a lot of controversy around one of the accused.
Braidy Vermette escaped from police custody a few weeks ago but is now behind bars after a dramatic recapture by police.
