Ashlee Shingoose's father never let go of the idea his missing daughter could be Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe

Ozten Shebahkeget · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

WARNING: This communicative contains details of unit against Indigenous women.

Albert Shingoose's long-held suspicions that his missing girl mightiness person been the unidentified unfortunate of a Winnipeg serial killer have been confirmed.

On Wednesday, Winnipeg constabulary confirmed Ashlee Shingoose, 30, was the first woman killed by Jeremy Skibicki successful 2022. The individuality of that unfortunate had, until this week, not been confirmed, and she was given the sanction Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, oregon Buffalo Woman, by Indigenous assemblage members.

DNA results identified Shingoose arsenic the unfortunate this month, constabulary said astatine a Wednesday quality conference, aft Skibicki gave them caller accusation successful a December interview.

Albert had spent years searching for his daughter, travelling from his location successful St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation to hunt the streets of Winnipeg, sometimes until 3 oregon 4 a.m. He was gone for weeks astatine a time, but went location empty-handed.

"I wasn't reasoning astir being frightened oregon thing happening to me, I was reasoning of trying to find my daughter," helium said.

"It was beauteous hard."

She was 1 of 4 First Nations women murdered by Skibicki successful Winnipeg successful 2022, on with Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26 — some primitively from Long Plain First Nation — arsenic good arsenic Rebecca Contois, 24, a subordinate of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation. 

Although the individuality of his archetypal unfortunate wasn't known astatine the time, he was convicted of 4 counts of first-degree execution last July.

Police antecedently said DNA samples taken from Ashlee's household members successful aboriginal 2023 did not lucifer a DNA illustration recovered connected a overgarment they believed Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe had worn. But the missing execution unfortunate stayed connected Albert's mind.

"I'm conscionable reasoning astir that each the time, that Buffalo Woman … possibly that was her, maybe not. I don't know," he told CBC News successful an October 2023 interview.

Police said Wednesday they judge Ashlee's remains were taken to the Brady Road landfill successful Winnipeg aft she was killed successful March 2022. At the quality conference, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew promised a hunt of the landfill for her, and aboriginal sang a accepted opus for Ashlee at the petition of her father, who spoke via talker phone.

WATCH | Premier sings for Ashlee Shingoose:

In his October 2023 interview, Albert expressed anticipation that arsenic a First Nations person, Kinew — whose authorities had conscionable been elected — would support a hunt of Prairie Green landfill for the remains of Harris and Myran. He rejected the reasoning of the former Progressive Conservative government, which pointed to health and information reasons for its refusal to motorboat a search.

During a leaders' statement earlier the October 2023 election, past premier Heather Stefanson asked Kinew why helium was "willing to enactment $184 million and Manitoba workers astatine hazard for a hunt without a guarantee," citing the projected outgo of the search.

"They speech astir money, it's going to outgo a batch of wealth to hunt that landfill. To me, it's similar beingness is worthless," Albert said successful 2023.

"Life is precious. I'd similar to person my girl backmost location and buried successful a due place, not successful a landfill."

'She had obscurity to go'

Ashlee was from St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation, successful northeastern Manitoba, but moved to Winnipeg astir 2016, Albert said. The parent of 3 was past seen successful the city's downtown connected March 11, 2022.

Albert said a deficiency of lodging successful St. Theresa Point forced her to move. He and Ashlee's mother, Theresa, stock a tiny bungalow with 8 grandchildren, immoderate sleeping connected a sofa and successful the kitchen.

There are astatine slightest 300 families connected the waitlist for lodging successful the First Nation, which has an on-reserve colonisation of astir 4,000 people, according to the national government.

"If we had much lodging … she would've been here, alternatively of being mislaid retired there," Albert said.

Albert said helium remembered his girl arsenic happy, outgoing and a occupation solver. But she lost custody of her children portion successful Winnipeg, and Albert says she became addicted to drugs.

"That's erstwhile we started losing her, due to the fact that she had obscurity to go."

Her disappearance was hard connected the family, helium said, and their tragedy was compounded successful March 2023, erstwhile Ashlee's daughter, Dayna, was identified arsenic 1 of 2 14-year-old girls recovered dormant extracurricular a location successful St. Theresa Point. 

Then main Elvin Flett said helium believed the girls had taken drugs earlier freezing to death.

Alvin said his granddaughter had been depressed astir the nonaccomplishment of her mother.

"She did miss her ma lots, [and would] ever say, 'Grandpa, erstwhile are you going retired to look for my mom?'" said Alvin.

"'Bring her home,' that's what she said to me."

Investigators judge Ashlee's remains were taken to the Brady Road landfill successful March 2022, based connected the clip of her decease and caller accusation astir wherever her remains were placed, constabulary said Wednesday.

The remains of Harris and Myran, near successful a antithetic dumpster, were precocious discovered pursuing a hunt that began past December astatine the Prairie Green landfill, northbound of Winnipeg.

Contois's partial remains were recovered successful garbage bins down a North Kildonan flat connected May 16, 2022, and much of her remains were recovered the pursuing period at the Brady Road landfill.

When CBC visited Albert successful his location successful 2023, helium hadn't stopped searching for his daughter, oregon warring to person the landfill searched — thing helium said he'd bash himself. 

"I'd go. I don't attraction if they arrested me. I'd spell and bash it. I'd spell digging successful there, and I don't attraction if the cops instrumentality maine distant from there, nary substance what. Because that's my daughter," helium said. 

Police said Wednesday that discussions astir what a search astatine Brady Road could look similar are inactive successful aboriginal stages.