The Disappearance of Sunshine Wood

EARLY LIFE:

Sunshine Wood was calved connected April 6, 1987. Raised by her father, Anthony; her grandfather; and her great-grandfather from the property of 10, she grew up connected the Manto Siri Cree Nation successful bluish Manitoba with her 2 older brothers and 2 younger sisters. She besides spent six months successful foster attraction for undisclosed reasons.

Adored by her family, particularly her brothers, Sunshine lived a comparatively mean life. She was bubbly and outgoing, with a inclination to marque friends alternatively easily. She besides loved to laughter and didn’t partake successful the antagonistic behaviours immoderate of the different teenagers successful her assemblage did.

Hoping to go a nurse, Sunshine moved to Winnipeg erstwhile she was 16 and enrolled astatine Gordon Bell High School. It was a large change, moving from a distant assemblage of conscionable a fewer 100 radical to a ample metropolitan area. She initially stayed with her uncle, but aboriginal moved successful with a pistillate named Priscilla. Anthony wasn’t definite however Sunshine met the woman, arsenic she didn’t disclose this accusation successful their regular telephone calls.

Sunshine loved the societal facet of being successful a large metropolis and was known for her thoroughfare smarts. However, Anthony began to announcement a quality successful his daughter. She started skipping school, and portion she’d not antecedently touched intoxicant began drinking regularly. Concerned for her wellbeing, Anthony tried to person Sunshine to determination backmost home, but helium was unsuccessful.

DISAPPEARANCE:

On the greeting of February 20, 2004, Anthony called his girl to corroborate their plans for the pursuing day. He besides stopped by to springiness her immoderate money.

Sunshine was past seen that nighttime successful beforehand of the erstwhile St. Regis Hotel astatine 285 Smith Street, adjacent Portage Avenue. She and a radical of friends had decided to walk the nighttime downtown, and they spent clip astatine the hotel’s bar.

Last-known surveillance footage of Sunshine Wood, captured astatine the St. Regis Hotel astatine 11:45PM connected February 20, 2004. (Photo Credit: MissingKids.ca)

The past known surveillance images of Sunshine were timestamped 11:45PM that night. In them, she’s seen holding the doorway unfastened successful the lobby for 2 chartless males, earlier going extracurricular to person a cigarette. What happened aft that is unknown.

While immoderate sources accidental Anthony learned of Sunshine’s disappearance the pursuing day, it’s since been clarified that helium wasn’t made alert until February 26. He subsequently reported his girl missing to the Winnipeg Police Service.

INVESTIGATION:

Sunshine’s lawsuit hardly received media attention, contempt the Winnipeg Police Service saying her disappearance was out-of-character. To assistance get the connection out, Child Find Manitoba teamed up with the Wood household to enactment up posters and cod tips from the public.

Investigators interviewed the antheral successful the surveillance footage from the St. Regis Hotel and person since stated that they don’t judge him to person immoderate transportation to the case.

In 2009, a extremity was called successful that claimed Sunshine was live and good extracurricular of Manitoba. However, this accusation was ne'er confirmed.

Project Devote, a associated RCMP-Winnipeg Police Service task unit dedicated to looking into the cases of Manitoba’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG), took implicit the probe successful 2012. It ran for 8 years, with the second starting its ain exemplary successful 2020 that “has community-based focus, incorporating grassroots organizations.” No updates were provided arsenic to however this would impact the probe into Sunshine’s disappearance.

DETAILS:

Sunshine April Hilda “Sunny” Wood went missing from the St. Regis Hotel successful downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba connected the evening of February 20, 2004. She was conscionable 16 years aged astatine the time.

Sunshine is described arsenic having a dense build, lasting betwixt 5’6″ and 5’7″ and weighing 220 pounds. She had shoulder-length, consecutive acheronian brown/black hairsbreadth and brownish eyes, and was past seen wearing a acheronian grey Exco sweatshirt, bluish jeans and achromatic boots.

Sunshine has a fig of distinguishable features, including the pursuing tattoos: “SW” connected her near hand, the missive “L” connected her near scale finger, “Sunny” connected her near forearm, the missive “B” connected her near thumb, “Destiny” and a bosom connected her close forearm, and “II” connected her near mediate finger. She besides has galore cigaret pain marks connected her near forearm.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

While characterized arsenic an ongoing missing persons case, Sunshine’s disappearance is being investigated arsenic a homicide.

Anyone with accusation regarding the lawsuit is asked to interaction the Winnipeg Police Service astatine either (204) 986-6250 oregon (204) 986-6060. Tips tin besides beryllium submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers astatine (204) 786-8477 oregon +1 (800) 222-8477.

Image Credit: MissingKids.ca/CBC

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