Chelsey Amanda Quaw (who also used the surname Heron) was 29 years old and a member of the Saik’uz First Nation. Chelsey was living in Houston, British Columbia but had recently moved to Saik’uz First Nation Territory in September to stay with her father and two siblings. Approximately 400 people live on the reserve which is located about 10 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof, British Columbia.
Chelsey Quaw (CBC News)
Chelsey was educated, a hard worker, and had a job at a mill in Houston as a level three first aid attendant. Her mother Pam Heron describes her daughter as an “independent, educated and hard-working woman. She’s loving and caring.”
On October 11, 2023, Chelsey was at her father's house. At around 2 a.m. she left the house on foot. Her father assumed she was stepping outside to have a cigarette and would return shortly, but she never returned to the house again. She was wearing blue jeans and a purple winter jacket. Her family soon filed a missing persons report to the Vanderhoof police department when she did not return.
Her mother considers it highly out of character that Chelsey would just leave without telling anyone, as she was usually quick to respond to calls or texts. Her father did not know where she would have gone as she had just arrived in the area a couple of weeks prior to her disappearance and did not know many people or places there.
On November 6, 2023, police found the remains of Chelsey in a wooded area off Highway 16 in the Saik’uz Reserve. No further details have been released by the police and the investigation as to the cause of death is still ongoing.
UPDATE - December 11, 2023
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbia has launched an investigation into possible police inaction over Chelsey's disappearance. The IIO is asking anyone with relevant information to contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or through the iiobc.ca website.
Source: Police action under investigation after missing woman found dead
