A Conviction Brings Monica Jack’s Cold Case to a Close
Monica Jack was twelve-years-old; her cold case is one of many instances of the systemic problem of murdered and missing indigenous women that Canada faces. She went missing in 1978 while riding her bike near Merritt, British Columbia. Her murderer had been out on bail when he abducted her. He was a known predator, but at the time, RCMP didn’t think they had enough evidence to dig deeper despite his vehicle matching a witness description of a suspicious vehicle in the area. In that regard, the RCMP officers in 1978 failed her. Her killer was landed as part of a controversial “Mr. Big” undercover RCMP operation in 2014.
In 1978, Monica Jack was a typical seventh-grader, one of six children. She had lots of friends, Monica did well in school, and had a sunny and bright personality. Monica grew up outside of Merritt, on the Quilchena reserve. Monica had been gifted a new bike from her father, it was an early birthday gift, and she wanted to ride it into Merritt to get her sister a birthday gift. She was permitted to bike the thirty kilometres, as long as her cousins were with her, and she was home by sundown.
Monica’s mother had been running errands for an overnight fishing trip, and she said that while she had been driving home, she saw Monica and asked if she wanted a ride back, but she said she wanted to bike a while longer…
