WARNING: This story contains references to missing and murdered Indigenous people. Resources can be found at the bottom of this story.
A 33-year-old man from Thunder Bay, Ont., has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of 36-year-old Kelsey Anderson, who was reported missing in the northwestern Ontario city last month.
The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) said the charge is the result of a major crime unit investigation, during which a deceased person, later identified as Anderson, was located.
Officers located and arrested a suspect Saturday in connection with Anderson’s death, the TBPS said in a news release issued Sunday.
The 33-year-old remains in custody following his first court appearance.
Anderson grew up in Kasabonika Lake First Nation and was a member of Webequie First Nation, a remote Ojibway community about 550 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. He also had ties to Nibinamik First Nation.
On May 25, the TBPS said Anderson was “no longer the subject of a missing persons investigation. This is now a private family matter.”
Anderson was last seen alive in the Thunder Centre shopping area May 9. His family told members of the media it was unlike him to go without contact and they’d become increasingly concerned about his well-being.
Family members said Anderson was in Thunder Bay to complete a training program, and that he turned 36 after being reported missing.
Members of several surrounding First Nations in northwestern Ontario as well as Manitoba flew to Thunder Bay to help locate Anderson. Community searchers received support from Guardian Migizi Security, an Indigenous-led organization that supports First Nations during emergencies.
While searching for Anderson, one of these searchers located the remains of Richard Graham, who had been reported missing in Thunder Bay in summer 2024 at 42 years old.
Police confirmed May 28 that Graham had been located deceased.
There have been five missing people located deceased in Thunder Bay this spring: Daniela Nekuliak, Ashlynn Bottle, Nodin Skunk, Richard Graham and Kelsey Anderson.
Of these, three were members of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) communities, prompting concerns from First Nation leaders about the way missing persons cases are handled in the city.
NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler told CBC News he plans to consult with NAN leadership about holding a meeting with higher-level officials to figure out what a search system should look like for Thunder Bay and the region.
In a recent interview with CBC News, Det. Const. Jeff Saunders, missing persons co-ordinator with the TBPS, said the service handles about 800 missing persons cases a year.
When asked about Fiddler’s comment, he said “discussions are always good, and working for the betterment of any situation such as missing persons is great.”
Saunders said the force must follow its own policies and procedures when conducting searches for missing persons, but that “we do provide information to search groups.”
“We haven’t had a lot of dealings with search groups until this last couple months,” he said.
CBC News is looking to arrange a follow-up interview with Thunder Bay police chief Darcy Fleury about how the service plans to work with First Nation leaders to address their concerns.
Support is available for anyone affected by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support is available 24/7 through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649.
