Body found in Winnipeg identified as teen sex worker

Winnipeg police have identified a body found in the city's northwest corner last week as that of a teenager in the sex trade, and have confirmed she was the victim of foul play.

Police said the body of Fonessa Lynn Bruyere, 17, was found in a field near Mollard Road and Ritchie Street sometime last month.

The teen was last seen around 6 a.m. CT onAug. 9 getting into a car on Aikens Street near Selkirk Avenue, where she worked in the sex trade, police said Tuesday.

Police believe Bruyere was killed closer to the date she was last seen than the date her body was found.A cause of death has not been released.

Bernice Geddy with the Ndinawe Centre on Selkirk Avenue saystheorganization'soutreach workers had been working with Bruyere for three years, but she was afraid to come into the centre.

"There was addiction issues and there was a lot of issues that the young gal had, a lot of abuse issues… in her growing up," she said.

"I guess when they're seen ascoming in[to the centre], sometimes their pimps get angry, or the gang members they're affiliated with get angry or, you know, other girls who work on the street get angry, so they don't want to make waves. They just want to survive today."

The day before her body was found, Bruyere's family had given the centre a missing persons notice, Geddy said.

No sign of serial killer: police

Bodies of several homicide victims have been found in that area of the city or on its outskirts in recent years.

Police have indicated that two otherwomen found deadin the area — Therena Silva, 36, Aynsley Aurora Kinch, 35 — were either known or believed to have been involved in the sex trade. Their murders are unsolved.

However, police said they do not believe they are dealing with a serial killer.

Sgt. Kelly Dennison said the investigations have not yet revealed any patterns in the deaths.

"Investigations of this nature take a certain path and a certain course, and you have to investigate each incident, each case on the circumstances surrounding it and what evidence you've located and found," he said.

"The evidence that they've located and found at this point and time really isn't lending them to believe that this is serial in nature."

Dennison acknowledged it is a challenge to investigate cases involving sex-trade workers, noting they don't live a "nine-to-five lifestyle" and sometimes don't contact family and friends for long periods of time.

Despite police assurances, Geddy said women who work the streets are afraid.

"It has a lot of people scared," she said. "There's a lot of young girls who are scared here that they keep winding up dead."

Police are asking for help from the public on Bruyere's case.

Anyone with information on Bruyere or the car she was last seen entering is asked to call the homicide unit at 204-986-6508.