In an effort to help solve cold cases of human remains found in British Columbia from the past few decades that have remained unidentified, the B.C. Coroners Service and RCMP have engaged in a new partnership with a U.S. forensic art school.

The B.C. Coroners Service provided RCMP with skulls from 14 unidentified human remains in cold-case investigations in British Columbia that were located from 1972 to 2019, in addition to one from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.

In a new project, RCMP partnered with the New York Academy of the Arts for facial reconstruction.

National Research Council technicians flew to B.C. and Nova Scotia to scan the skulls, which were selected due to being in good overall condition.   

In Ottawa, specialists printed 3D versions of the skulls with powdered, laser-melted nylon, which were then sent to the academy in New York, along with information about sex, ethnicity, and height.

At the school, students in a forensic sculpture workshop used facial reconstruction techniques under the guidance of a senior forensic artist with the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the U.S.

All of the skulls are male.

The reconstructed faces will be displayed in New York City in April 2020 as part of the New York Academy of Art’s Open Studios event.

According to a B.C. government news release, there are 179 unidentified human remain investigations in British Columbia, and over 700 unidentified remains in the RCMP’s national database. For more information about unidentified human remains in B.C., visit the B.C. Coroners Service’s Unidentified Human Remains Viewer. 

Below are the individuals from Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley cases.

Additional information about each case—as well as additional cases from Whistler, Parksville, and Lytton, as well as Sandy Cove Beach, Nova Scotia—is available at Canada's Missing website, where tips can also be submitted from anyone who believes they recognize someone.

Male, 40-60

Discovered on: March 11, 2019

Discovered at: Burnaby, British Columbia

Male, 18-35

Discovered on: September 18, 1972

Discovered at: Chilliwack, British Columbia

Male, 30-49

Discovered on: July 2, 1998

Discovered at: Coquitlam, British Columbia

(See also this article.)

Male, 30-49

Discovered on: August 3, 1998

Discovered at: Delta, British Columbia

Male, 25-40

Discovered on: August 25, 1994

Discovered at: North Vancouver, British Columbia

Male, 40-60

Discovered on: May 14, 1995

Discovered at: Port Moody, British Columbia

Male, 45-55

Discovered on: June 8, 2008

Discovered at: Richmond, British Columbia

Male, 45-70

Discovered on: May 22, 1990

Discovered at: Vancouver, British Columbia

Male, 20-40

Discovered on: April 23, 1984

Discovered at: West Vancouver, British Columbia

Male, 50-65

Discovered on: March 24, 1996

Discovered at: West Vancouver, British Columbia