The remains of Cindy Martin, a Hazelton woman who went missing in December 2018, have now been found according to a Facebook post by her family.
Martin, 50 at the time she disappeared, was last seen Dec. 23, 2018 in New Hazelton and reported missing the next day.
RCMP said in a press release her remains were found May 1.
“Since then, the investigation continued to positively identify the remains and confirm the identity of Cynthia,” the release stated.
Born in New Westminster, Martin began working in youth advocacy within the education sector in the Lower Mainland after finishing Grade 12.
She then made the transition to the Vancouver School Board, where she worked with young Indigenous students.
“People still know who we’re talking about when we say Cindy — a lot of these students remember her,” said Martin’s sister Sheridan
Eventually, wanting to live closer to her mom, Cindy moved back to Gitanmaax, where she worked as a mentor advocate for Indigenous women in the area.
READ MORE: ‘It’s a surreal existence’: family of missing Hazelton woman still searching for answers
The lack of information at the time was extremely difficult for the family to cope with.
“We have absolutely no leads at all to go on, no pieces of clothing, absolutely nothing,” said Sheridan in 2019.
Multiple searches were conducted at the time, on land and by aerial drones, to no avail.
The family also met with two investigators who work with the RCMP on cases surrounding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in August of 2019.
“That was good, because it just felt like we were heard,” Sheridan said after that meeting.
“The word trauma doesn’t even begin to address what the family is going through.
“I can’t believe Cindy’s gone because I have not seen her. We haven’t had a funeral if she’s deceased. We haven’t — you know, she still could be alive.”
Those hopes for a positive outcome were finally dashed on August 9, with notification by the BC Coroners Service (BCCS) that Martin’s remains had been found.
More information will be available after the family has had time to process their loved one’s passing and make arrangements for the return of her remains from the BCCS.
The investigation into what happened to Martin is ongoing, police said. Anybody with information should contact New Hazelton RCMP at 250-842-5244.
deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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