Chelsea Poorman was a member of the Kawacatoose First Nation and was born in 1995 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Chelsea was the middle child of two other sisters. She had a difficult childhood and she and her sisters were put into foster care while her mother, Sheila Poorman, battled cancer and addictions. After her mother regained her health the sisters were allowed to return to their mother where she raised them during their teenage years.
Chelsea Poorman at her high school graduation (Vancouver Sun)
Chelsea was known as a kind soul who went out of her way to help others and would often bring hot coffee to people living on the streets during the winter. She had big dreams and loved animals, cared for the environment, and was interested in fashion design and cosmetology. In 2014, Chelsea graduated from Saskatoon’s Bishop Murray High School and was even given a perseverance award by teachers for overcoming tough obstacles in order to finish grade 12. Just a few months after graduating high school, Chelsea was leaving a friend's house and, while walking home, was struck by a large truck.
When I was talking to the doctor, he said that he just about lost her a few times on the operating table. He said she’s quite the fighter. It’s a miracle, he said, that she made it through.Sheila Poorman, mother of Chelsea (Vancouver Sun)
The accident caused a brain injury that left her mentally "a few years younger" than her actual age. She also suffered a fractured skull, a permanently disabled arm, and two badly broken legs in which doctors inserted metal rods and were unsure if she would even walk again. Chelsea's mother remembered her remaining positive throughout the experience and with determination she learned to walk again with a brace on one leg and a shoe with a lift on the other.
In 2020, Chelsea moved from Regina to Vancouver for a fresh start, to be closer to family, and have better access to mental health facilities. Months after moving, things were starting to look up and Chelsea's sister remembered admiring her sister’s continual efforts to grow and get better.
And her will to never give up and to just keep trying, no matter how many times she got knocked down in life.Paige Kiernan, sister of Chelsea Poorman (Vancouver Sun)
On Sunday, September 6, 2020, during a long Labour Day weekend, the sisters decided to go out and have dinner together at Gastown’s Alibi Room in downtown Vancouver. The two then headed to the Belmont Hotel, at Nelson and Granville streets. The sisters then took a 20-minute walk to Paige's friend's party at a house on Davie and Granville. Chelsea would eventually leave the party intoxicated after getting into an small argument with her sister, not telling her where she was going. At 12:57 a.m. Paige was able to reach Chelsea who texted her that she had "met a new bae" whom she was meeting. There was no activity from her phone after that message and she was never heard from again. She was reported missing by her family on September 8th.
Chelsea Poorman with family and friends (CBC.ca)
Chelsea's mother has stated several times that she did not trust the way the case was handled by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) from the beginning. It took them 10 days to issue a public notice about Chelsea's disappearance after she had filed the first missing persons report and notified them of Chelsea's physical and mental disabilities. Two months after the initial report was filed an officer told Sheila the case was now being transferred to the VPD homicide unit because they had more resources to investigate and they had determined that Chelsea was vulnerable.
I told you guys in the beginning that's she's vulnerable. Now, two months later, you're going to come to me and say now you're taking this case seriously? I was horrified.Sheila Poorman, mother of Chelsea Poorman (CBC.ca)
Feeling unsupported and helpless during this entire investigation, the family took it upon themselves to print and post flyers around town, organize rallies, and raise money for a $10,000 reward. However, the family's effort did not lead to any suspects or leads.
On April 22, 2022, a construction worker, discovered human remains in the unkempt and overgrown backyard of an empty $7.1 million dollar mansion near 36th Avenue and Granville Street in the exclusive Shaughnessy neighbourhood. Police didn't notify Chelsea's family until two weeks after discovering the remains. They told the family they wanted to make sure it was her, something her family does not believe as the remains matched the description of Chelsea's outfit and physical disabilities.
The VPD has stated publicly that there is not enough evidence to indicate that Chelsea's death was suspicious. After a coroner's examination it was concluded that she had several fingers missing as well as parts of her skull. She had no identification on her and her phone was not found with her body and was later traced to downtown Vancouver in Victory Square. Police believe Chelsea died the night of her disappearance, which her family doubt because her body was found lying on a ground-level patio just outside a back door and they wonder why it had not been spotted before by anyone. It was also hard for Chelsea to walk long distances because of her physical disabilities and the mansion was located 5.8 kilometers from the house she was last seen at.
Skeptical of the police work being done, her father, Mike Kiernan, broke into the mansion and was shocked to see several items that looked like they had belonged to Chelsea still on the patio where she was found. For example, a bus pass, hair elastics, socks, and parts of her cellphone case were still lying at the crime scene. None of these items had been collected by police to be investigated further.
A VPD spokesman has stated that the investigation into Chelsea's death remains open but reiterated that they have "insufficient evidence to suggest her death was the result of a crime."
