Partial human remains discovered in a back lane last week have been identified as those of a 32-year-old Indigenous woman who went missing more than two years ago, Winnipeg police said on April 8, 2026.
DNA testing confirmed the remains belong to Leah Faye Keeper, who was reported missing on Nov 21, 2023. Keeper was born in Little Grand Rapids First Nation and raised in Sagkeeng First Nation.
Police discovered the partial remains on Nov. 23, 2025, around 1:30 p.m. in a rear lane in the 600 block of Selkirk Avenue. North District officers secured the scene, and the Forensic Identification Unit took over handling of the remains. An autopsy later confirmed they were human.
The Winnipeg Police Service has notified Keeper’s family of the tragic development. Chief Bowers is also in the process of reaching out to community leaders.
“Our thoughts are with Leah’s family and loved ones, as well as the Indigenous community,” police said in a statement.
The Homicide Unit has assumed the investigation, which is being treated as a suspicious death. Investigators have released no further details about the circumstances surrounding Keeper’s death or how her remains came to be in the lane.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 204-986-6508 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.
