Danielle Marissa Lynn LaRue, a 24-year-old member of the Shuswap First Nation, disappeared from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in late autumn 2002. Family last heard from her on or around November 30, 2002. By then she had lived in the Downtown Eastside for about five years and was described as thin, 5 feet 7 inches, with a light but ruddy complexion, brown eyes, several tattoos (heart and sword on her left forearm, cross on her right arm, heart on her back, black hearts on her chest) and scars on her right arm and forearm. She had a history of childhood abuse, time in foster care, substance use and survival sex work.

On New Year’s Eve 2002 an anonymous typed letter was sent to the Vancouver Police Department. The writer confessed to unintentionally killing a sex worker at the end of November and described a Caucasian-looking woman with long black curly hair, jeans, a black leather jacket, tattoos and jewelry — details investigators linked to Danielle. The author claimed to have left flowers at her grave and intended to do so yearly. Police consider the disappearance a suspected homicide, but no body, crime scene or identity for the letter writer has been confirmed.

Does anyone who knew Danielle, or who was in the Downtown Eastside around late November 2002, have information that could help clarify what happened?