RCMP seek tips in 1995 B.C. killings

RCMP homicide investigators in B.C. have issued a public appeal and set up a tip line for information that could help them solve the 1995 killings of three women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

The bodies of Tracy Olajide, Tammy Pipe and Victoria Younker were found separately in remote areas of the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, between August and October 1995.

The lead investigator, RCMP Sgt. John Cater, says a DNA profile from the crime scenes ruled out serial killer Robert Pickton, but it's possible the killer is still active in the area.

"It's been a tough investigation," Cater said. "There has been a number of persons of interest who have been examined thoroughly and excluded."

Investigators believe one man killed the three sex trade workers, and they say significant progress has been made in creating a profile of the culprit.

They believe he may have lived or worked in the rugged areas between Agassiz and Mission where the women's bodies were dumped. He may have been visiting the region to hunt or fish or was working in the forest industry or for correctional services.

They also say the killer's red 4x4-type vehicle was scratched or damaged during off-road forays to dump the bodies, and he likely wrapped the victims in some type of weathered yellow rain gear before disposing of the remains.

Cater says it is unusual to release details about evidence, but police are hoping it will help jog people's memories.

"We've always thought a media strategy appealing to the public would be appropriate," he said.  

Investigators say although the deaths date back 15 years, they believe someone knows something that could move the case forward. They urged anyone with information to call the investigation tip line at 1-877-687-3377.

After the conviction of Robert Pickton in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder, police said they still had nearly 40 unsolved cases of missing women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside under investigation.