Disappearance of Jean Virginia Sampare

Jean Virginia (Ginny) Sampare is a Canadian woman who went missing on Thursday, October 14, 1971, outside Gitsegukla, British Columbia, Canada. She was last seen by her cousin near the railroad overpass on Highway 16 outside of Gitsegukla. Sampare's cousin, who was walking with her, went to get a jacket or a bike from his home and when he came back Sampare was gone. Despite searches by local residents, civil defence personnel, and police, she has not been seen since.

Despite multiple theories surrounding what could have led to her disappearance, there has been no conclusive evidence to back any of them up.

Background

Virginia Sampare Jean Virginia Sampare, known as Ginny to her family, was born on September 10, 1953, into a First Nations family of Gitxsan descent. The second youngest of six children, she was described as a shy and quiet child. She attended high school in Hazelton, British Columbia. She was characterized as a caretaker for her siblings, who protected them when their father drank too much.

At the time of her disappearance, she was living with her parents in Gitsegukla. Sampare was planning to move to Terrace with her younger brother Rod later in the month. He stated in the inquiry that she was careful and did not partake in any high-risk activities.

Gitsegukla Gitsegukla is a village located in the Skeena Valley between Hazelton and Kitwanga, British Columbia. It is in the center of the Hazelton mountain group. The area is largely mountainous with the Skeena River and some of its tributaries running through it. Topsoil is sparse, with a sandstone/shale bedrock exposed or just below the soil surface in much of the area above the Skeena, and sand, gravel and clay with exposed bedrock near and under the Skeena River. Animals in the area include salmon, trout, eagle, ravens, robins, black bears, elk, lynx, owl, coyotes, wolves and deer. There are numerous mines in the area; some were active in the 1970s, but many of them were abandoned shaft-mines. Gitsegukla is located on an Indian reserve in traditional Gitxsan territory. The band operates out of Gitsegukla.

Disappearance The night of the disappearance, October 14, 1971, Sampare's sister-in-law Violet testified that she saw her at her mother's house. Violet said that Sampare's mother came home and went into the kitchen. Soon after Sampare came out of the kitchen and looked like she was crying. Violet said she tried to ask what was wrong but that Sampare promptly walked out of the door. Violet tried to call Sampare and ask where she was going. Violet tried to get Sampare, but her mother-in-law stopped her, saying that "She'll come back." Violet said that this was between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm. On October 27, a helicopter joined the search effort.

The search was officially called off on October 28.

Theories

Suicide Sampare's parents felt suicide would not be characteristic of her.

Awareness efforts by the family Her band at one time had tried to list her as being deceased; however, after pushback from Sampare's mother, they changed her status back to missing.

Both Winnie and Rod Sampare have talked to the media about their sister's disappearance and they spoke along with Victoria at an inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in September 2017.