Police say human remains found in a Halifax suburb last year are that of a woman who disappeared 15 years ago.
Crystal Dawn Jack was last seen leaving her home on Agricola Street in the north end of Halifax on July 15, 1997. The 30-year-old woman was reported missing July 23.
Her case was added to the Nova Scotia Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes on February 6, 2007 after efforts to locate her were unsuccessful.
Police now believe Jack was a victim of foul play after her remains were found in Middle Sackville over a year ago.
Surveyors found part of a human skull while they were working in a wooded area on June 9, 2011.
With the help of forensics, police have positively identified the remains as that of the missing woman.
“Now that we have new info that it is Ms. Jack, that narrows the search dramatically,” says RCMP Cpl. Scott MacRae.
Dr. Matthew Bowes was the medical examiner assigned to the case. He says he and his team worked with police over the past year to identify the remains.
“You know, with any case of this nature, the technical difficulties are enormous,” says Bowes. “I’m quite impressed that they can do this because you had a small piece of bone and they worked with their know-how and modern technology to make an identification.”
While a major piece of the puzzle has been solved, police say their investigation into the woman’s disappearance is far from over.
It is still unclear whether Jack’s life ended in the woods where her remains were found, or if they were dumped in Middle Sackville after her death.
Investigators believe Jack was threatened by people who lived in her neighbourhood. They also believe there are people in the community who have information about Jack’s disappearance and may even know how her life ended.
“In any investigation we believe that the people do have the answers, so we would like the family to have even more closure,” says MacRae.
Police are hoping the positive identification of her remains will encourage those people to come forward.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand
