Wednesday, December 9

‘A parent’s worst nightmare’: Edmonton police seeking help in 11-year case of missing woman

By Slav Kornik

Web Producer  Global News

maggie burke_1

EDMONTON – It’s been 11 years since 21-year-old Maggie Burke vanished from downtown Edmonton.

Police believe foul play was involved in her disappearance, and hope speaking publicly about the cold case will generate tips more than a decade later.

“I’m doing this because my family needs answers,”Maggie’s mother Marie Burke said Wednesday.

“She loved her family and she loved her daughter and she would have never just taken off,” Marie added.

“Something happened to her.”

Maggie was last seen in the area of 95 Street and 118 Avenue, where she had worked in the sex trade. However, police believe the 21-year-old was meeting a friend at the time of her disappearance.

Crime Stoppers put up a billboard with Maggie’s photo this week in the hopes someone will come forward with information.

“Someone, somewhere, must have information about Maggie’s disappearance,” Sgt. Neil Zurawell, with EPS Missing Persons Unit, said.

“We want that key piece of information, that little nugget of information, that will really progress the investigation and help us find some real answers.”

READ MORE: RCMP #MMIW campaign aims to bring home Canada’s missing Aboriginal women

Maggie is described as aboriginal, 5’7″, 125 lbs, brown eyes, with brown hair that had red streaks in it at the time. She also had a marijuana leaf tattoo on her left arm.

Her mother, in speaking publicly for the first time, pleaded for help.

“Please help us find Maggie. She is missed and she is loved.”

Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News