Ep. 053 | The Murder of Amber Tuccaro
Amber Tuccaro, a 20-year-old member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, disappeared on August 18, 2010, after hitchhiking from a motel in Nisku, Alberta, toward Edmonton. During the ride, she called her incarcerated brother, and the call was recorded, capturing a conversation in which she questioned the driver's route, expressing concern that he was not taking her where she wanted to go. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) released a portion of this recording in 2012, hoping the public could identify the man's voice.
Shortly after, Amber's remains were discovered in a field in Leduc County, south of her last known location. The RCMP faced significant criticism for their handling of the case, including delays in initiating the investigation and mishandling of evidence, leading to a formal apology in 2019. Despite these efforts, the case remains unsolved, and Tuccaro's family continues to seek justice.
SOURCES:
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). (2012, August 28). RCMP release audio of missing woman’s last phone call. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rcmp-release-audio-of-missing-woman-s-last-phone-call-1.1266255
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). (2014, May 8). Amber Tuccaro: RCMP investigated man 2 women say is in audio. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/amber-tuccaro-rcmp-investigated-man-2-women-say-is-in-audio-1.2636649
Canadian Press. (2019, July 25). RCMP apologize to family of murdered woman Amber Tuccaro. CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/rcmp-apologize-to-family-of-murdered-woman-amber-tuccaro-1.4525261
CBC News: The National. Amber Tuccaro’s last phone call [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dL1Qro46g
Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. (2018). Final report: Public complaint regarding the investigation of the disappearance and death of Amber Tuccaro. https://www.crcc-ccetp.gc.ca/en/final-report-public-complaint-regarding-investigation-disappearance-and-death-amber-tuccaro
CTV News. (2015, July 28). Investigation into possible serial killer underway after remains identified. https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/investigation-into-possible-serial-killer-underway-after-remains-identified-1.2491349
Fitzpatrick, M. (2015, December 7). Mother of murdered Alberta woman Amber Tuccaro speaks at inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/amber-tuccaro-family-inquiry-testimony-1.3352007
Global News. (2015, April 28). Remains identified as Edmonton sex trade worker missing since 2004. https://globalnews.ca/news/1960154/rcmp-investigate-discovery-of-human-remains-near-leduc/
Global News. (2015, July 28). More remains near Leduc identified; RCMP may be searching for a serial killer. https://globalnews.ca/news/2135689/more-remains-near-leduc-identified-rcmp-may-be-searching-for-a-serial-killer/
Government of Canada. (2014). Missing and murdered Aboriginal women: A national operational overview. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/missing-and-murdered-aboriginal-women
Jamestown Sun. (2015, July 28). Serial killer could be responsible for deaths of five women in Leduc, Alberta. https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/serial-killer-could-be-responsible-for-deaths-of-five-women-in-leduc-alberta
Macdonald, N. (2016, March 5). A family’s fight for Amber Tuccaro: What happened to a murdered Indigenous woman, and why didn’t police do more? Maclean’s. https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/a-familys-fight-for-amber-tuccaro/
Morin, B. (2015, May 1). Police probe possibility lone killer dumping bodies outside small Alberta town. APTN News. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/police-probe-possibility-lone-killer-dumping-bodies-outside-small-alberta-town/
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). Reclaiming power and place: The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
Paradis, H. (2019, July 25). ‘Apology doesn’t mean anything to me,’ says mother of murdered woman Amber Tuccaro. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/5687404/amber-tuccaro-rcmp-apology/
Ramsay, C. (2019, February 22). Amber Tuccaro’s brother shares story with National Inquiry into MMIWG in Edmonton. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/4987365/amber-tuccaro-brother-national-inquiry-mmiwg-edmonton/
The Canadian Press. (2017, November 6). Amber Tuccaro’s brother says RCMP ‘mishandled’ investigation. CityNews. https://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/11/06/amber-tuccaros-brother-says-rcmp-mishandled-investigation/
Vice News. (2015, April 28). Mounties suspect serial killer after woman's remains found in Alberta. https://www.vice.com/en/article/rcmp-suspect-serial-killer-after-womans-remains-found-in-alberta/
Yahoo News Canada. (2015, April 28). Corrie Ottenbreit's remains tied to rural property near Leduc. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/corrie-ottenbreits-remains-identified-rural-181607191.html
Yahoo News Canada. (2015, April 28). Delores Brower's remains identified. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/sex-trade-worker-delores-browers-153927028.html
