An elderly woman working alone high up in a fire-spotting tower in the Canadian wilderness disappears while on-duty. Evidence at the scene points to foul play but police investigators remain baffled as to who climbed the tower to get her and why?
The Episode
- Alberta Parks: Athabasca Lookout View Point Fact
- William A. Switzer Provinical Park : Athabasca Lookout Nordic Centre
- Edmonton Journal: Police Seek Missing Fire Tower Observer. By Laura Drak.
- Edmonton Journal: Search Continue for Missing Hinton Fire-Tower Observer. By Staff.
- Edmonton Journal: Foul Play Suspected in Alberta Lookout Observer’s Disappearance. By staff.
- CBC News: Hundreds Search for Woman Missing From Fire Lookout Tower. By Staff.
- Star-Phoenix: Search for Missing Forestry Worker Intensifies. By Lisa Arrowsmith.
- Edmonton Journal: Drug Trade Fuels Fears for Missing Lookout Worker. By Jim Farrell and Ryan Cormier.
- Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Red Deer Advocate: Family of Missing Forestry Worker Appeals for Information, By Staff.
- Calgary Herald: Daugther Worries About Missing Fire-Spotter. By Lisa Arrowsmith.
- Times Colonist: Reward Offered in Case of Woman Who Vanished From Forestry Tower. By Staff.
- Edmonton Journal: Homicide Stats Include Missing Fire Tower Worker. By Trish Audette.
- Edmonton Journal: Hikers Asked to Watch for Missing Worker. By Staff.
- Calgary Herald: Search for Lookout Employee Continue. By Staff.
- CTV News Edmonton: Alberta Released Fire Lookout Safety Report. By staff.
- Calgary Herald: New Safety Measures For Fire Lookouts. By Tony Seskus.
- Edmonton Journal: Tips on Missing Woman Still Come In. By staff.
- Red Deer Advocate: Tower Operator Loves Her Work. By Brenda Kossowan.
- CTV News Edmonton: Alberta Woman’s Disappearance remains a Mystery Three Years Later. By Melissa Dominelli.
- Calgary Herald: Mystery Surround Fate of Fire Spotter. By Jamie Komarnicki.
- Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Calgary Herald: Fire Spotter’s Disappearance a Mystery. By Jamie Komarnicki.
- Calgary Herald: On The Lookout. By Jamie Komarnicki.
- The Globe and Mail: Police Still Seek Leads Five Years After Alberta Fire Spotter Vanished. By Dawn Walton.
- Global News: Five Year Anniversary of Stephanie Stewart’s Disappearance. By Staff.
- The Canadian Press: 10 Years Since Wildfire Spotter Stephanie Stewart Vanished Near Hinton, Alberta.
- Calgary Herald: Senior’s Disappearance 10 Year Ago At Alberta Fire Lookout Still a Mystery. By Chris Purdy.
- Strange Outdoors: The Strange and Disturbing Disappearance of Stephanie Stewart From A Fire Lookout in Alberta.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police News Release: RCMP Historical Homicide United Investigating Deaths of Three Women.
- Global News: Historical Homicide Unit Believes Unrelated Deaths of 3 Alberta Women Will be Solved. By Emily Mertz.
- CTV News Edmonton: RCMP Investigations Continue for Three Homicides, dating back to 1983, 2006, 2013. By Julia Parrish.
- Cold Case: A Look Inside the Alberta RCMP’s Historical Homicide Unit. By Quinn Ohler.
- CTV News Edmonton: RMCP Searching Near Hinton in 2006 Disappearance Investigation. By Julia Parrish.
- Edmonton Journal: A Pot of Boiling Water and a Smear of Blood: 12 Years Later, Fresh Clues Sought in Stephanie Stewart’s Disappearance. By Jonny Wakefield.
- CTV News Edmonton: 12 Years Later, New Clues Sought in Disappearance of 70-year-old Woman. By Jackie Dunham.
- The Danielle Smith Show: Interview with Kerry Shima RCMP Twitter on using Twitter to investigate disappearance of Stephanie Stewart.
- Calgary Herald: New Techniques Tested in Missing-Women Cold Cases. By Anna Junker.
- Crime Beat Alberta: Woman, 70, Still Missing After Disappearing 15 Years Ago From Fire Lookout Tower.
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police News Release: RCMP Historical Homicide Unit Seek Public Assistance Regarding the Disappearance of Stephanie Stewart.
- CTV News Edmonton: Police Renew Calls for Information to Help Locate Wildfire Tower Worker Missing 15 Years. By Adam Lachacz.
- Western Standard: Who Murdered Stephanie Stewart? By Dave Naylor. Published August 26, 2021. Accessed December 17, 2021.
Travis Vader Sources
- CBC News: Murder Trial of Man Accused of Killing Alberta Couple Opened Today in An Edmonton Courtroom. By Janice Johnston.
- CBC News: Travis Vader and The McCanns: 6 Years to a Decision. By staff.
- CBC News: Travis Vader Convicted of 2nd-degree Murder in McCann Deaths. By Rick McConnel.
- CBC News: ‘Terrifying For All Canadian’: Travis Vader Gets Life Sentence for Killing Elderly Alberta Couple.
- National Post: Travis Vader Sentenced to Life in Prison After Being Convicted of Killing Elderly Couple. By Staff.
- Toronto Star: ‘No Body, No Parole’: How The Killing of an Elderly Couple Led to the Push for a New Canadian Law. By Rosa Saba.
- The Canadian Press: “Terrific’ : Victims Son Pleased High Court Rejected Travis Vader Appeal Request. By staff.
- Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta Reason for Judgment Filing. September 15, 2016.