Amber Alyssa Tuccaro, a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, was 21 years old and living in Alberta, Canada, with her mother Tootsie and young son Jacob. On August 17, 2010, Amber flew to Edmonton from Fort McMurray with her 14-month-old son and a female friend for a weekend trip. Their plan was to stay just outside the city to save money, then head into Edmonton the following day.
Amber Tuccaro and her son Jacob (Alberta Press)
On the day of their arrival, Amber decided she wanted to go into the city that evening. She left her son with her friend and decided to hitchhike.
When Amber failed to return the next day, her friend called Amber's mother, who then contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to report her missing. Tootsie later told the media that the RCMP did not take Amber's disappearance seriously. They publicly stated that they believed Amber was alive and somewhere in the Edmonton area, suggesting she was probably out partying and would eventually reappear.
Two years after the RCMP was first contacted, a piece of crucial evidence was released, prompting the RCMP to declare that they believed Amber had been murdered. The evidence was a portion of a phone call Amber had made while in a vehicle with the man suspected of killing her. Listen to the audio below.
In the call, the man can be heard insisting that he is driving north to 50th Street although Amber continues to question whether they are going in the right direction.
The RCMP now believe that instead of driving Amber north into the city as she wanted, the man actually drove her southeast along rural country roads.
On September 1, 2012, horseback riders discovered partial skeletal remains in a farmer’s field near Leduc County. The remains were identified as Amber’s. The location was just south of the motel where she had been staying. It was also discovered that, although only one minute of the phone call was released to the public, the full call was 17 minutes long. This is exactly the amount of time it would take to drive from her motel to the location where her remains were found.
The RCMP obtained the call because Amber had been speaking with her incarcerated brother, and the facility had recently begun recording all outgoing calls.
Since the recording’s release, two women have come forward identifying the man’s voice.
I know that voice. I’ve ridden with that voice before on several occasions. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s his voice.Woman telling CBC news of the recording police released (CBC News)
Despite these leads, the RCMP said they investigated the man but ultimately ruled him out as a person of interest. In 2014, Amber's family filed a formal complaint against the RCMP for their handling of the case. In 2018, a report concluded the investigation was 'deficient'.” Another woman who had contacted the RCMP with information shared a similar view.
They didn't look very hard I don't think. I knew the voice like I know the back of my own hand.Woman who had contacted RCMP about Amber (CBC News)
UPDATE - July 22, 2019
Nine years after Amber's death - the RCMP have formally stated they will apologize to the family for the "deficient" police work in this case.
UPDATE - January 24, 2020
Today the RCMP made public that they had received a tip on Amber Tuccaro's homicide profile. "In early December 2019, the Banff RCMP was contacted by a male who alleged that his father may be responsible for a missing person from the Banff area. The male also stated that he believed that his father may be linked to numerous missing persons and homicide files in Alberta. On January 20, 2020, the male advised the RCMP that he believed his father to also be involved in the disappearance and murder of Amber Tuccaro."
The RCMP are actively investigating this information.
Read more:
RCMP announcement
Alberta Press: Man claims audio recording of man with murder victim Amber Tuccaro is his father
RCMP looking into Amber Tuccaro case tip but caution against ‘erroneous information’
Facebook Group: Missing and Murdered Native Women of Canada
UPDATE - March 16, 2023
Amber Tuccaro’s family held a press conference today in hopes of revitalizing efforts in the case. It has been thirteen years since Amber was last seen, and no arrests have been made. The RCMP have acknowledged that they mishandled the case from the beginning, lacking urgency and care in their investigation.
They just know us as a drunk, stupid Indian or whatever, but you know what? We’re caring, we’re loving, we’re a community.Tootsie Tuccaro, mother of Amber Tuccaro
The family now works with the RCMP but still want to see the system improved. The RCMP have said they will not stop investigating until charges are laid.
Source:
13 years after her disappearance, Amber Tuccaro’s family begs those with information to come forward
