How did a Red Deer woman end up dead in rural Saskatchewan?
In a case spanning two years and two provinces, the Saskatchewan RCMP have finally put a name to a once-unidentified woman, transforming a mystery into a homicide investigation and appealing to the public for help.
The woman has been identified as Kassandra Jorquera of Red Deer, Alta. She was 27 years old at the time of her death.
The investigation began on Feb. 28, 2021, when Watrous RCMP received a report of human remains located in the Rural Municipality of Morris, Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes unit took over the investigation, embarking on a lengthy and complex process to identify the deceased.
The effort involved multiple agencies, including the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, Forensic Identification Services, Police Dog Services, and a forensic anthropologist. For over a year, the woman’s identity remained unknown.
A major break in the case came in March 2022, when investigators turned to advanced forensic technology. They enlisted the help of Othram, a private lab in The Woodlands, Texas, known for solving cold cases. Othram scientists used “Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing” to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the remains.
Othram’s in-house genealogy team then used that profile to generate investigative leads, which pointed investigators toward closely-related relatives in the Red Deer, Alta., area.
Following these leads, Major Crimes determined the remains likely belonged to a woman from Red Deer who was last seen in January 2021. Notably, she had never been reported missing to police.
In January 2023, after further forensic work, Saskatchewan RCMP Forensic Identification Services “conclusively determined” the human remains were those of Kassandra Jorquera. Her family has been notified.
Police have determined that Jorquera’s death is “suspicious in nature.” Major Crimes is still working to piece together the final weeks of her life.
Investigators have revealed that Jorquera often frequented Red Deer and was known to have been there in January 2021. She also periodically visited Grande Prairie, Alta. However, her connection to Saskatchewan, where her body was found, remains unknown.
Police appealed to the public, particularly those in Red Deer.
Did you know Kassandra? Did you speak with her or encounter her in the weeks after New Year’s 2021? You may have a piece of the puzzle that will help us determine what happened to her in those final weeks of her life.
She was approximately 5’5” tall, weighed about 110 pounds, and had shoulder-length dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her family remembers her as having “beautiful” teeth.
Anyone with information about Kassandra Jorquera’s death, or her whereabouts in and around January 2021, is urged to contact Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes at 639-625-4535. Information can also be submitted anonymously to Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
