The BC Coroner Service has launched a new interactive tool to help them solve cold cases involving unidentified human remains (UHR).
The UHR interactive viewer is a web-mapping application containing spatial, temporal and statistical information on every active, unsolved UHR investigation in B.C.
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It is hoped the online tool will generate new leads to assist in closing cold case and active investigations, of which there are just under 200 involving UHR in B.C.
Most of these are cold cases, with the earliest dating back to 1953.
The UHR interactive viewer was developed by Ian Charlton, a spatial information analyst with the BC Coroners Service’s Special Investigations Unit. It is hosted on B.C.’s map hub.
The interactive viewer provides images of the approximate location where remains were found, case numbers for contact purposes and a summary of the key information related to each unresolved case.
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“By reaching out and engaging members of the public with the launch of this innovative tool, it’s our hope to gain new investigative leads that will lead to the identification of these unidentified individuals and bring closure to their families,” said Lisa Lapointe, Chief Coroner at BC Coroners Service.
Anyone with information or questions about any of the investigations displayed on the UHR interactive viewer can contact the Special Investigations Unit using the relevant case number seen in the viewer and email BCCS.SIU@gov.bc.ca
For more information visit: https://governmentofbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html? id=1a60c24b82ed41699d8a55338fb11076
B.C. map hub: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/geographic-data-services/web-based-mapping/agol
National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains: http://www.canadasmissing.ca/index-eng.htm
