Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020

Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.

Trottier was last seen on Dec. 21, 2020, Saskatoon police said. Since then, police said they have pursued several leads, released video surveillance and worked with Trottier’s family to maintain public awareness.

“In late 2023 a substantial amount of data was collected which identified a specific area of the landfill, located at 42 Valley Road, which may contain evidence in the investigation, a Saskatoon police news release said.

The search will begin on May 1 and last for up to 33 days. Saskatoon police said the area of interest is about 930 metres cubed and around one meter deep. 

Calgary Police Service and dogs from the RCMP E Division will assist Saskatoon police in the search, the release said.

A forensic anthropologist will consult with the search teams, Saskatoon police said.

Since Trottier’s disappearance, digital billboards were put up across Canada and a $20,000 reward was offered by the woman’s family.

In December 2021, Saskatoon police released CCTV footage of a man investigators believed had information regarding Trottier’s disappearance.

Police in Calgary also received information that a person matching Trottier’s description had been seen in the city numerous times. However, neither lead turned into anything substantial.

A television series that ran in the summer of 2022 called “Never Seen Again” also featured Trottier’s case. The same series followed some of Canada’s highest profiled missing persons cases, including Regina’s Tamra Keepness.

“We are of the opinion that there are some people out there that know more than they’re telling us,” Saskatoon police staff sergeant Grant Obst said in 2022.

No arrests have been made to date in relation to the case.