Police watchdog investigates discovery of woman's body in North Vancouver home
Credit to Author: David Carrigg| Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2019 04:58:27 +0000
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is investigating after a North Vancouver woman was found dead in her home, two days after police had visited the home and concluded she was missing.
According to an IIO release, on Sept. 2 North Vancouver RCMP officers visited the home to do a “welfare check,” did not find the woman and filed a missing persons report.
Postmedia News reported on that missing persons report, stating Elizabeth Joanna Napierala had not been seen since Monday, Sept 1 at around 11 p.m. She had last been spotted in the Woodcroft apartment complex in the 2000-block of Fullerton Avenue in North Vancouver. It was reported that Napierala, 45, was a white woman around 5-foot-8, with brown hair and green eyes. She had a medical condition that left her vulnerable to being outside and prone to falls.
At that point, it was believed she could be in a park in the Capilano area, which included Klee Wyck Park, Hugo Ray Park, Capilano Park and Capilano River Regional Park.
The IIO said that on Sept. 5, the RCMP reported to them that the missing female had been located in her home at 1:15 p.m. on that day.
“The IIO has commenced an investigation to determine what role, if any, the officers’ actions or inaction may have played into the death of the female,” the IIO report stated.
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.