In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find.
This new feature — ‘Closer Look’ — is a chance to hear directly from those dedicated reporters and editors.
Every night, Village Media’s Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our journalists to explore an important story they are covering. These in-depth conversations go beyond the headlines, helping viewers better understand how we gather the details that land in your local news feed.
On tonight’s episode of ‘Closer Look’: Her name was Tammy.
Two decades ago, a woman's body was discovered near a highway rest stop between Guelph and Halton Hills. Although her identity remained a mystery for nearly 20 years, the woman's story never faded away, thanks to a roadside memorial installed in 2008.
Earlier this year, GuelphToday reporter Isabel Buckmaster wrote a feature story about Keith Porty, who has spent the past few years meticulously repairing and maintaining the Jane Doe memorial. He also created a sign that he posted on a nearby bench. It encourages visitors to learn more about the case in the hopes someone might have information that could finally solve the mystery.
SEE: Who maintains Jane Doe's roadside Rockwood memorial (and why)? We found out
Six months after that article was published, the OPP announced a major break in the cold case: using a technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), police confirmed the deceased woman was Tammy Eileen Penner, 41, of Chilliwack, B.C. The OPP believes Penner was the victim of foul play, and have renewed their plea for people to come forward with any information.
SEE: Her name was Tammy: Rockwood Jane Doe finally identified after 20 years
Buckmaster joins us tonight to talk about the lingering mystery. You can read her previous coverage HERE and HERE.
Stay tuned for more episodes of ‘Closer Look’ every weeknight at 7 p.m. You can find all our previous segments HERE.
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