On December 16, 2016 Blackfalds RCMP were alerted to the discovery of human remains on a rural property. Red Deer RCMP Forensic Identification Section and Major Crimes South completed an examination of the scene and investigated the circumstances of the discovery of these human remains.
An autopsy was conducted at the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Office on December 19, 2016 and the results obtained have revealed that this was the missing 49-year-old female, Lorie Nichols of Red Deer.
There is no connection between Lorie and the person who found her in the field.
The RCMP are not investigating this as a suspicious death and further information will not be made available in relation to this investigation.
Background:
Red Deer RCMP continued to actively search for missing 49 year old Lorie Joy Nichols, who was last seen in Red Deer on February 23.
RCMP had received a number of tips from the public regarding possible sightings of Nichols in a number of cities and towns in Alberta and beyond, and have followed up on each one, working with the police in each jurisdiction; none of the tips had been fruitful. Police had also undertaken a number of ground searches in Red Deer over the past three months with support from search and rescue teams, Police Dog Services and the RCMP helicopter. Searches took place in a variety of locations, including walking paths Nichols was known to use, the river valley, wooded areas near her home, and more.
Red Deer RCMP conducted door to door canvases and interviews with a number of people who were in contact with Ms. Nichols in the time leading up to her being reported missing. They had distributed posters, made repeated checks at various organizations and businesses and viewed many hours of surveillance footage from various locations that have come up during the course of the investigation.
Red Deer RCMP worked closely with the Alberta RCMP Missing Persons Unit, KARE, and actively collaborated with other policing jurisdictions in their search for Ms. Nichols.