Saskatchewan RCMP seeking information on Red Deer woman’s death

The Saskatchewan RCMP has identified human remains that were found near Watrous two years ago, and now is asking for the public’s help in determining what happened to the victim.

In a media release Thursday, the Mounties said the remains were those of Kassandra Jorquera, a Red Deer woman who would have been 27 years old at the time of her death.

“Major Crimes continues to investigate the circumstances of Kassandra’s death, which investigators have determined is suspicious in nature,” the RCMP release said.

In February of 2021, the Watrous RCMP got a call that human remains had been found in the RM of Morris. Since then, the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit — working with the Watrous RCMP, the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Forensic Identification Services, Police Dog Services, the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service and a forensic anthropologist — has been trying to identify the remains.

In March of 2022, a forensic genealogy firm was engaged and, using DNA, it determined the person had relatives in the Red Deer area.

“Further investigation by Major Crimes determined the remains likely belonged to a woman from Red Deer, who was last seen there in January 2021,” the Mounties said Thursday. “She had not been reported missing to police.”

This past January, the RCMP’s Forensic Identification Services conclusively determined the remains were those of Jorquera. Her family has been notified.

Now, investigators want to speak with anyone who may have information about her death or knows about her activities in January of 2021. The RCMP said Jorquera’s connection to Saskatchewan isn’t known.

Jorquera was approximately 5-foot-5 and 110 pounds, and had shoulder-length dark brown hair and brown eyes.

“Since February 2021, we’ve worked diligently to identify the person located deceased. We now know it’s Kassandra. Our work continues: we need to retrace all of her steps in January 2021,” Sgt. Ryan Boogaard from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes said in the release.

“I know it was some time ago, but we’re asking people — particularly in the Red Deer area — to take a look at her picture and think back. Did you know Kassandra? Did you speak with her or encounter her in the weeks after New Year’s 2021? You may have a piece of the puzzle that will help us determine what happened to her in those final weeks of her life.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes at 639-625-4535 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.