Mother searches for closure in daughter's homicide, fights for her to not be forgotten

Four years aft Jana Williams' remains were recovered extracurricular a Winnipeg building, determination is inactive small known astir her decease — a homicide that has no arrests and her household searching for answers.

"I privation immoderate peace and I privation immoderate closure," Charlene Williams, Jana's parent told CBC News. "I privation justness for my daughter."

Jana's household and friends gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening on what would person been her 33rd birthday, to retrieve and mourn the parent whose remains were discovered March 4, 2021, successful the city's North Point Douglas neighbourhood. 

Dozens walked southbound on Main Street from Inkster Boulevard, taking implicit the near lane of traffic. Some successful the assemblage held posters with Jana's representation and the words "never forgotten." 

Among dozens successful the locomotion were members of Morgan's Warriors, who stood astatine the backmost of the group, some drumming and singing.

The assemblage crossed Main and continued down Alfred Avenue, wherever Williams said constabulary recovered portion of Jana's assemblage wrong a suitcase against the partition of a gathering adjacent the Red River.

"She was an outgoing person, she helped everyone," Williams said. "She conscionable loved beingness and loved her children and loved her family." 

Though Jana was raised successful Winnipeg, her household is from Hollow Water First Nation. She had 2 daughters and 1 son, who are present 15, 13 and 8 years old, Williams said.

Jana was besides six months large erstwhile she died, Williams said. Her 4th child, present known arsenic hummingbird, was besides remembered astatine Wednesday's vigil. 

A teddy bear, flowers and tea lights were placed connected a seat painted with hummingbirds, set underneath a histrion with vertebrate feeders erected successful Jana and her baby's memory.

While her girl is contiguous successful her representation each day, Williams feels Jana has been forgotten by police, who declared her decease a homicide successful March 2021 but who person said small astir their probe since. 

The past clip she spoke with constabulary astir her daughter's decease was 2 to 3 years ago, erstwhile an serviceman told her they were going to find who was down Jana's death, Williams said.  

"I haven't heard [anything] yet," she said.

CBC News reached retired to constabulary for remark but hasn't received a response.

"She's been forgotten," Williams said. "It's tough. It's truly pugnacious close now.

"When I'm laying successful bed, I adjacent my eyes, and I tin representation my girl warring for her beingness … she was a beauteous pugnacious girl." 

At the vigil, Kristine Johnston, president of the SOS Sisterhood assemblage group, said that adjacent years aft Jana's death, small is known astir what happened to her. 

"It's unluckily being swept nether the rug," Johnston said, adding, "it's not conscionable Miss Williams, it's truthful galore others that person gone missing and are murdered and inactive unsolved today.

"It's tragic and it has to stop."

A study from Statistics Canada shows Indigenous women and girls experienced unit rates higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Between 2009 and 2021, 490 of Canada's homicide victims were Indigenous women and girls. 

"We're not going to basal for this anymore," Johnston said. "There's truthful galore monsters that locomotion among america that this is wherefore we get together." 

Williams said she can't begin healing until she puts her daughter's psyche to remainder by getting justness successful her death.

Until then, "I'm going to support doing this each year."