Woman who died from burns was victim of homicide, Winnipeg police say
CBC
WARNING: This story contains details that may be distressing.
A 41-year-old woman who died after suffering severe burns was the victim of a homicide and Winnipeg police urge the public to help them learn more about her.
Melissa Cook died in hospital on Aug. 20 and police became involved in the investigation five days later, after being notified by the chief medical examiner's office that her death was a homicide.
Detectives say Cook, who was from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation and living in Winnipeg since April, did not have a house in the city and may have been living in homeless encampments.
She had also spent time at Siloam Mission and in the South Point Douglas area.
Cook likely sustained her burns in late June or early July, police said. She told staff at a shelter in early July about her injuries and was taken to hospital, where she remained until she died.
WATCH | Police asking people to come forward with tips
Police spokesperson Const. Jay Murray wouldn't say where on her body she was burned.
"That's an aspect of the investigation we're going to hold back at this time, but we can acknowledge that she has severe burns," he said. "She did live with them for some time."
Police are still trying to determine where in the city she was burned.
Although Cook told shelter staff that she needed help, "Melissa wasn't very candid with some of the individuals she interacted with about the injuries," Murray said.
The police service's major crimes unit has been trying to learn more about Cook and her activities over the summer but is now turning to the public for help.
"We've learned some things about Melissa … but there's still a lot of unknowns, and we're really relying on the public to help us with this," Murray said.
"I just ask the members of the public to look at this with an empathetic lens," he said, noting Friday was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Tuesday is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
After walking a few laps around the shop, Maria Castagna picks up a glass ornament in the form of a pink, sparkly ice cream cone and smiles widely.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says he has much unfinished work from his first term in office, as he prepares to make his pitch to voters ahead of the 2026 election.
Moving to Canada from Singapore meant losing close social connections for Iris Akbar, but Akbar says the gift was in finding an affirming space with friends that became like family.
Women and children staying at Regina Transition House now have access to Santa’s workshop — a safe space where mothers can choose Christmas gifts for their children.
A man from Powell River, B.C., is thankful to be alive after a stranger helped him while he was choking at a restaurant during a visit to Whistler.
When it comes to Hamilton readers' favourite library books of 2025, romance and mysteries are in close competition.
From the Detroit Lions losing to Apple iPhones that spontaneously update, Windsorites had things that bugged them this year.
Calgary emergency rooms are “in a state of critical overcapacity” ahead of the anticipated peak of flu season — and to cope with the surge and wait-room crowding, officials are urging doctors to speed up their decisions on whether to admit patients, according to a memo obtained by CBC News.
Northern Ontario's highway system needs improvements in order to make travel safer, a highway safety advocate said.
Hundreds of thousands of used tires are piling up across Ontario as some companies responsible for tire recycling have stopped processing tires amid reduced provincial recycling regulations for tire producers, industry experts say.
People in Guelph facing homelessness will soon have a new place to go during the day.
Islanders are reminded to plan their rides ahead of holiday festivities if they plan on drinking alcohol or using cannabis.
Even before Gwen Healey Akearok began her new role as Nunavut’s Minister of Family Services, she was tuning into the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) hearings on the state of the Family Services department.