Trawling Winnipeg's Rivers for the Bodies of Unsolved Murder Cases

Cold Case Unsealed · Jul 1, 2026 · 40m

In Winnipeg, a volunteer organization called Drag the Red searches the local river for the remains of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The group was established by community members after the discovery of Tina Fontaine, a teenager whose body was discarded in the water. Participants use specialized hooks to dredge the river bottom and receive guidance from forensic anthropologists to identify potential evidence. While the Winnipeg Police Service acknowledges the group’s mission, officials argue that the river's low visibility and dangerous conditions make professional searches a poor use…