dscn1304

She was found in a plastic bag two months ago. Floating in the Toronto harbour. 

Kasandra Bolduc, aka Kandy, had been missing since November.

She is described as white, 5’2″, 110 lbs., with long, straight, brown hair and brown eyes, and has tattoos on her left hand and right hip, according to a Toronto Police Service press release issued on April 17.

Police reported that Kasandra was last seen in Toronto in December 2012.

“And hung out regularly on Queen Street both in the east and the west,” said Doug Johnson, a street pastor at Sanctuary Ministries in Toronto.

“We’ve tried to track what could have happened with her death a little bit. But it’s not being treated as a homicide at this point.”

Investigators are still waiting for the results of post-mortem testing.

A post-mortem examination (also called an autopsy) is performed in many death investigations, but not all of them.

An autopsy includes looking at organs and tissues from the body and looking at small tissue samples under a microscope. It may also include testing for drugs, chemicals, poisons, or infections.

“Of couse there are some explanations that are possible that don’t include homicide,” said Doug Johnson at Tuesday’s monthly homeless memorial vigil at the Church of the Holy Trinity.

“But they should issue (more) press releases with her name asking for people to come forward.”

Her name, age or any identifying information were not reported in the media after her remains were pulled from Lake Ontario. 

“When somebody who was in his 30s and white and a father went missing, there was a national search underway until he was found,” said Johnson.

“(But) this is not what happens when somebody like Kasandra goes missing.”

In November, some press releases were issued but the case attracted little media attention.

“But when her body was found, it was like maybe (the public felt) she kind of deserved it because of the lifestyle,” said Johnson.

“This is what we must speak out against.’

What those who support the homeless memorial vigil speak out against on a regular basis.

“These are things that are very concerning to us,” he said. 

Especially when names are added to the homeless memorial board of people who died at the beginning of their adult lives. 

Kasandra Bolduc was only in her early 20s. Cheyenne Fox was just 20 years old.

“Stolen from us far too young.”

Deaths that might merit further investigation with more input from the public.

Fox, a First Nations woman, fell 24 stories to her death on April 25. 

“Her family is convinced she was murdered,” said Johnson. “She had a very abusive boyfriend.”

Less than two months before her death, she left the shelter she was living in and went back to live with her boyfriend.

“Her homelessness was related to the abuse she was facing,” said Johnson. 

“There was loud screaming heard before she fell off the balcony. And there were bruises all over her body that weren’t consistent with her fall (that could have occurred at an earlier time). Toronto police have ruled it a suicide.

“We think this is part of the tragedy of murdered and missing First Nations women. We don’t know for sure whether she was murdered.”

There are now over 600 murdered and missing First Nations women in Canada.

“She was really loved by everybody,” said Mary, who knew Cheyenne when they lived in the same homeless shelter.

“I just wish somebody knew what happened to her for real.”

Anyone with any information about the Kasandra Bolduc or Cheyenne Fox cases can call Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS. Crime Stoppers takes information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls are not recorded and Crime Stoppers does not have call display, guaranteeing that your identity remains anonymous. 

John Bonnar

John Bonnar is an independent journalist producing print, photo, video and audio stories about social justice issues in and around Toronto.