Vigil to be held Tuesday after Winnipeg police identify woman found dead at recycling depot

Winnipeg police say the woman found in a recycling depot was Mary Madeline Yellowback (Ross), 33.

Police say the body of a middle-aged woman was found at the depot on Friday night. Police were called to the depot in the 100 block of Omands Creek Boulevard shortly after 7 p.m. for reports of “suspicious circumstances.”

The body of an adult woman was spotted among the recycled material.

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Yellowback’s father Rex Ross hopes the family can soon receive some answers as to what happened.

“I never realized it would be me who would lose a daughter, through this tragic event of being destroyed, her life being cut short,” Ross said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I never realized it would be me who would lose a daughter, through this tragic event of being destroyed, her life being cut short," Ross said.

He said they’re lucky the body was found, and they know other families in similar situations don’t get closure.

“We were so fortunate that she was dumped in recycling, if it was a regular bin, the grey ones, they could have transported the body to the garbage dump.”

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This news comes during hearings for the National Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women’s and Girls (MMIWG) Inquiry, which are in Winnipeg this week. One of the inquiry’s commissioners Michele Audette says they hear stories like these way too often.

Why is this still happening every week? Every two weeks, we meet across Canada to receive the truth of the families. And every week, we have to have the moment of silence, because we heard through the news, someone is missing, someone is found dead,” Audette said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: Why is this still happening every week? Every two weeks, we meet across Canada to receive the truth of the families. And every week, we have to have the moment of silence, because we heard through the news, someone is missing, someone is found dead," Audette said.

Spotted downtown

Const. Tammy Skrabek said Monday Yellowback was spotted downtown Thursday, Sept. 27, and they provided security camera pictures of her wearing jeans, a grey hoodie with a red R on the front from that night.

Police would like to talk to anyone who saw her that day or the next.

Yellowback is from Winnipeg and the God’s River area, said Skrabek.

“My understanding is the past few years she has been back and forth between the two locations.”

The police don’t know how her body wound up at the recycling centre, said Skrabek. But they believe her body was moved from another location.

Police do not yet know how Yellowback died and say that’s why her death is classified as suspicious rather than a homicide.

The family sent over what they called a biography of Yellowback:

“Mary was married to Clifford Yellowback, and had six children, ages 13, 9, 6, 4 and 3.  Mary also had one child who tragically lost her life in a car accident in 2009 at the age of 4.

“Mary has 4 brothers and 3 sisters.

“Mary enjoyed sports and had earned the nickname “Tom” as she played on the local Manto Sipi Cree Nation boys team in her teenage years.  She was active in hockey for nearly 20 years.

“Mary was employed in her community as a Home Care Worker.  She enjoyed helping the Elders enjoy a better quality of life.  Mary was helpful and kind to everyone she encountered.  Her family would describe her as “happy go lucky” type and Mary enjoyed having many friends back home.

“Tragically Mary was a cousin to the late Sunshine Wood, who was last seen near the St Regis Hotel in Winnipeg.  Her father Rex Ross was the late Sunshine Wood’s uncle.  The family is hopeful that anyone who has any information to contact the Winnipeg Police.”