Human remains found in Saddle Lake confirmed to be missing mother, RCMP call death ‘suspicious’

Human remains discovered in the Saddle Lake area last month have been positively identified as those of a 34-year-old mother who vanished in central Alberta in the spring, the RCMP said on Monday.

In a news release, police said a medical examiner confirmed on Wednesday that the remains were of Kimberly Cardinal.

“The circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious and RCMP Major Crimes North has taken carriage of the investigation,” police said.

Cardinal was last seen in Saddle Lake on April 23. In late June, human remains were discovered about a kilometre away from where the mother of three was last seen.

READ MORE: RCMP investigating human remains found in Saddle Lake

Before Cardinal disappeared, she was dropped off at a house on Saddle Lake First Nation. She was reported missing two weeks later after failing to contact family members or accessing her bank account.

More than 100 people from the community spent days searching Saddle Lake for Cardinal in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.

“I’m really surprised the way she was found… because we searched that area,” Kimberly’s mother, Georgina Cardinal, told Global News on Monday.

“I wasn’t expecting that. I was hoping we would find her. I was hoping to find her alive.”

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Georgina Cardinal said Kimberly’s children are now in her care.

Watch below (From May 9, 2019): About 100 people took part in a search effort in Saddle Lake on Wednesday, the same day police issued a plea to the public for any tips in the case of a missing woman. Sarah Kraus reports.

1:55 People take part in central Alberta search effort to find missing woman

Saddle Lake First Nation is located about 160 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to call the St. Paul RCMP detachment at 780-645-8888, or their local police department. Tips can also be anonymously submitted by contacting Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online.