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Mexican citizen charged with second-degree murder of Vancouver woman in 1996

Click to play video: 'Murder charge in 30-year-old cold case'
Murder charge in 30-year-old cold case
WATCH: Murder charge in 30-year-old cold case

A Mexican citizen has now been charged in connection with a murder case from 30 years ago.

Juan Manuel Rueda Salud, now 68, is accused in the murder of Muriel Lindsay on or about Feb. 16, 1996.
“Muriel Lindsay was 40 and working at Canada Post on Georgia Street at the time of her death,” Insp. Ryan Smith, who spent 12 years investigating the case. “She was deeply loved by friends and family, and she is sorely missed to this day.

“While it is a relief to see a charge finally laid in this matter, it marks the start of another sad chapter for Muriel’s loved ones. Our thoughts are with them now.”

Muriel Lindsay is seen in this photo from 1994. Vancouver police handout

Police said that Salud was identified as a person of interest in the case at the time, but he left for Mexico in March of 1996.

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Investigators located him in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2015.

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“The case is now before the courts, so I can’t discuss specific evidence, but I can say that our forensic investigators gathered a considerable amount of evidence at the crime scene,” Smith said.

“We worked diligently for decades with other agencies in Mexico and the United States, as well as Canadian law enforcement agencies and our Forensic Science and Technology partners at BCIT, and we were able to identify Rueda Salud as a suspect.

“He was formally charged Nov. 2, 2024, and arrested under a provisional warrant in Mexico on Jan. 22, 2025.”

Salud appealed the extradition order, but was eligible for extradition to Canada on July 15.

Vancouver police investigators flew to Mexico on Monday and escordted him back to Vancouver on Wednesday, where he remains in custody.

“This was a complex case that involved multiple agencies and many officers,” Smith said.

“It shows our collective commitment to solving cold cases, regardless of how long it takes.”

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