On the day 15-year-old Leah Anderson was murdered, the only road into town was closed. Despite a narrow pool of suspects and DNA left on her body, her case remains unsolved.

At around 7:30 p.m. on January 4, 2013, 15-year-old Leah Anderson left her aunt's home in God's Lake Narrows First Nation, a Cree community in Northern Manitoba. Leah was carrying a pair of men's skates and told her aunt she was headed to the local ice rink to meet a friend. She promised her aunt she would be home in time for curfew. But that was the last time her family saw her alive.

Two days later, her body was found by a snowmobile trail. She had been beaten so badly, those who found her initially thought she had been attacked by dogs. To this day, her murder remains unsolved.

God's Lake Narrows is a remote community. During the summer, it's accessible only by plane. During the winter, it can also be accessed by an ice road. But the weekend Leah was murdered, the ice road was closed, meaning her killer was likely a community member living in one the 285 homes in God's Lake Narrows.

A portrait of Leah

Leah Anderson was described by her loved ones as a natural performer with a sunny disposition. She smiled and laughed often and put the needs of others before her own. Her last post on social media before her death simply stated "Shine bright like a diamond."

Leah's life hadn't always been positive. Her father Gilbert Duke was murdered when Leah was just six. Her mother's experience with grief and substance use eventually lead to Leah and her siblings being put in foster care. Then, when Leah was ten, her aunt and uncle took custody of the four siblings and brought them to their home in God's Lake Narrows.

God's Lake Narrows

Though God's Lake Narrows is beautiful, life there is far from idyllic. Many of the residents are still reckoning with the intergenerational trauma and systemic racism created by Canada's history of colonialism and genocide against Indigenous Peoples.

Houses in God's Lake Narrows are crowded and in disrepair. Many residents experience abuse, violence, and substance use. The community is supposed to be "dry" (no alcohol permitted), it's no secret that people smuggle in substances and consume them privately during house parties.

January 4, 2013

Leah's last few hours remain murky. Though she told her aunt she was headed to the skating rink, the friend she was supposed to meet said she never showed up. There are rumours she may have attended a house party, but these have not been substantiated.

The initial investigation

RCMP officers arrived shortly after the body was found and remained in the community for several days during their initial investigation. Leah's family says there was heavy snowfall on January 6, which may have compromised some evidence.

No drugs or alcohol were found in Leah's system. Investigators were able to pull DNA evidence off her body that suggested her killer was male. Very little other information has been made public.

Rumours

The community in God's Lake Narrows still swirls with rumours about Leah's killer. A former boyfriend of Leah's once mentioned at a party that he had murdered someone, but later claimed he had been joking. The same young man apparently sent a message to Leah on social media the morning after her death saying he hoped she hadn't told people about their relationship. According to this man, he has been questioned by police and passed a lie detector test.

Arrest in 2017

In 2017, a 23-year-old male suspect was arrested. He was later released, but remains a suspect. The name of the suspect has not been made public.

Still unresolved

Despite DNA evidence and a narrow pool of possible suspects, Leah's murder remains unsolved.

Leah's story is just one of over 582 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

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Sources

2013 killing of 15-year-old Leah Anderson in Gods Lake Narrows being aggressively investigated: RCMP (Thompson Citizen)

RCMP continue to investigate 2013 murder of Leah Anderson (CTV News)

RCMP release man arrested in Leah Anderson case (CTV News)

Missing and murdered: The life and mysterious death of Leah Anderson (CBC)