Tanya Jean Brooks, 36, a Mi’kmaq mother of five from Millbrook First Nation also known as Tanya Lynch, was found dead beside St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School on Maitland Street in Halifax on the afternoon of May 11, 2009. Police placed the discovery at about 2:17 to 2:20 p.m.; authorities determined her death was a homicide, though the precise medical cause has not been publicly disclosed.

Brooks was last accounted for leaving Halifax Regional Police Headquarters on Gottingen Street at about 8:20 p.m. on the evening of May 10, and investigators reconstructed her movements only until roughly 9 p.m. What happened after that point remains the central unanswered question. Police say they believe Brooks knew the person or people responsible and that some witnesses have not told everything they know.

Part of Brooks’s remains were retained by authorities for years; her final remains were returned to the family in May 2017 so traditional ceremonies could take place. No arrest or criminal charge has been announced, and the case remains under active investigation with a reward available for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Did anyone in Halifax see or hear something unusual near St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School the night of May 10–11, 2009?