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Rene Lynn Gunning, 16, was last seen at West Edmonton Mall on February 18th, 2005.

Gunning's file was placed under the Project KARE mandate in July 2007 and her case was made public on February 17th, 2008.

Case status is open and active.

Gunning, one of two women missing from northeastern British Columbia since February 2005, was the latest addition to the list of missing persons falling under the Project KARE mandate.

At a press conference convened February 17th, 2008 – the third anniversary of the women's disappearance – RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Wayne A. Oakes announced that Rene Lynn Gunning of Fort St. John and Krystle Ann Julia Knott of Dawson Creek were last seen at West Edmonton Mall. Gunning was 20 at the time, Knott was 16.

Oakes said the women are now believed missing under "suspicious circumstances," specifically citing the length of time since their disappearance and their method of travel – hitchhiking.

"The fact that they relied on hitchhiking to enable their interprovincial travels placed them at a greater risk of becoming victims of a violent crime," Oakes said.

Those circumstances, in addition to last being seen at the mall, led investigators to place the cases under the Project KARE mandate in July 2007. RCMP chose the February 2008 weekend to make news of their disappearances public.

At the press conference, Cpl. Oakes was questioned about the delay. Oakes responded that the timing was to use the anniversary to spark public memory, and to ensure investigators were certain of as many facts as possible before issuing a media release.

"It took that amount of time to gather the information," Oakes said. "You can't release what you don't have."

Oakes also pointed out that British Columbia RCMP had issued missing persons alerts for Gunning in 2005.

Investigators said they were satisfied that neither Gunning nor Knott had any involvement in the sex trade. There was also no comment on whether video surveillance at the mall was part of the investigation.

On February 17th, 2005 Gunning hitchhiked from Fort St. John, travelled through Grande Prairie, Alberta and eventually arrived at West Edmonton Mall. She was last seen the next day in the presence of Krystle Knott. Knott had arrived in Edmonton around the beginning of February 2005 from Dawson Creek.

Investigators determined that the two women did not know each other prior to their arrival in Edmonton but likely became acquainted while at the mall through as yet unknown circumstances.

At some point on February 18th the pair told their respective friends that they were hitchhiking back to either Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.

Oakes said that since that date there have been no confirmed sightings or contact with either woman. It was not known if the pair actually departed the mall area on February 18th or if they may have spent some time hanging out with, as yet unidentified, new friends.

Gunning, born in May 1985, was described as First Nations, 5-feet 2-inches (157 cm) and 111 lbs (50 kg), with black hair that was chin length and brown eyes. She had tattoos of a moon and star, in black ink, on her back, and she had a mole on her chin and upper lip.

Gunning was last known to be wearing a hoodie, a 2-inch wide, black bracelet with small silver spikes, pink & grey "Power" running shoes and a dark colored "Spongebob" backpack.

A larger image of Gunning can be seen here. A missing persons poster of Gunning can be seen here (opens as a .pdf file).

RCMP revealed that Gunning had a son but due to privacy concerns no other details about him could be released (see below).

Both Gunning and Knott were now both listed on the recently launched www.albertamissingpersons.ca website, a public database of missing persons and unidentified human remains.

According to Oakes, Project KARE was currently investigating just over thirty missing persons under its mandate which is exclusive to the province of Alberta.

RCMP were hopeful anyone with details regarding the activities of Gunning and Knott around February 2005, such as means of travel, hangouts or activities or known acquaintances, would contact Project KARE at 495-KARE (5273) or 1-877-412-KARE (5273) or online at www.tipsubmit.com - a secure tip submission web site.

RCMP also hoped that if Gunning and Knott learned of the interest in their well being to call one of the numbers provided to inform investigators as to their current circumstances.

The day after the press conference, media sought details of the girls' story the RCMP could not provide. CTV Edmonton made contact with Rene's grandmother, Berna Gunning.

"It's so difficult. I cannot understand how anybody could disappear," the woman said.

"It makes me wonder – the good old question – why? What has happenned? Where she is or if she isn't ..."

Berna spoke of Rene's father and brothers who still live in Fort St. John.

"They have been desperately searching for her. They are, of course, all torn up by this," she said.

Global Edmonton, not hampered by the same privacy issues that limit law enforcement, spoke to Rene's father Joe Gunning, also identified as Jerome.

"I guess it will help jog people's memories and hopefully she'll get word that we're pretty worried about her," Joe said of his daughter being listed with Project KARE. He said Rene grew up in foster care and was known for taking off.

"My feeling is that I think she's still alive."

Global soon had cameras in the town of 18,000 residents and showed Joe Gunning with his grandson, four-year-old DeAndre.

Gunning said he sought custody of the boy prior to Rene's disappearance, and with her brothers he was raising the child.

"They've been holding it together ... it's really hard on DeAndre, her son, keeps asking about his mom and when she's coming back. It gets a bit hard to tell him the truth," Joe said.

"We always gotta have hope. She's done this sort of thing before but not never this long."

Joe said his daughter had a turbulent life and first became pregnant at a young age.

Stephanie Svisdahl, who knew Gunning for six years prior to her disappearance, told the Edmonton Journal she had just become pregnant by her latest boyfriend but miscarried three months before her due date.

Joe said Rene left town about a month or two later after she heard that boyfriend intended to quit his job on the oil rigs so he could come to Fort St. John to confront her. The father described the relationship as abusive.

"Next thing we know, Rene is missing," Svisdahl said, adding that since Rene's disappearance rumours had circulated that she occasionally got in touch with old friends.

"They said they had talked to her and she was coming home, but there's no proof they actually talked with her."

Joe Gunning had also heard the rumours but dismissed them.

"I feel in my guts she will turn up again," Joe said. "She's too much like me at her age, pretty spirited."

When Rene was first reported missing in February 2005, so was her friend – Naomi Ratcliffe. Together the two girls hitchhiked their way to West Edmonton Mall where they met up with Krystle Knott and a fourth girl.

"Krystle and Rene went off into the mall and me and Sarah went to her boyfriend's place. We invited them with us but they said, 'No, we want to stay here and chase after these guys.' "

Naomi told Global Edmonton she wasn't optimistic that Rene or Krystle would be found.

"She would have called home, you'd think. And Krystle didn't seem like that much of a person that would just up and not talk to anybody for three years, right?"

The RCMP couldn't confirm whether they talked to Ratcliffe or not, saying they can't discuss their dealings with witnesses.

CBC Edmonton spoke to Hubert Vankoughnett, Krystle Knott's father. He thinks his daughter hitchhiked to Edmonton on a whim.

"She was pretty smart. She knew what she was doing. I think something serious has happened to her."

When asked why the father replied, "Well, because she's a good-looking young little girl."

Two months after Gunning and Knot were last seen at West Edmonton Mall, 13-year-old Nina Louise Courtepatte was led away from the shopping centre by newly found friends.

Courtepatte was later found on a golf course west of the city. She had been raped, beaten and left for dead. There was also an attempt to set her body on fire.

deadmonton 2005 - rene lynn gunning