EARLY LIFE:
Roxanne Marie Isadore was born on October 14, 1982, in High Prairie, Alberta. Her mother, Dorothy Blue, was 17 years old at the time and was already raising her other daughter, two-year-old Nicole. Following Roxanne’s birth, Dorothy gave birth to two more girls, Nicole and Rollanda. The family are members from the Driftpile Cree Nation, which runs along the shore of Lesser Slave Lake, several hours north of Edmonton.
Following a trip to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, when she was five years old, Roxanne was taken to a hospital in Valleyview, where it was learnt she’d been molested. This caused her to have nightmares, for which she received counselling. Her dreams eventually stopped, and it was decided she’d return to British Columbia to live permanently with her mother. Following the move, she was said to have become a “joyful little girl”.
As she entered adolescence, Roxanne tried to take her own life twice. The second time occurred while she was under the care of child welfare; she’d tried to stab herself because her case workers were telling her she was “crazy”.
In the years leading up to her disappearance, Roxanne was abused by her longtime boyfriend. According to Dorothy, it was so bad that she once came upon her daughter hiding in a closet, and there were several instances of her having to be admitted to hospital, due to the beatings she suffered. Before long, she’d become dependent on drugs and alcohol.
By late 2006, Roxanne was the mother of two children, Connor and Gaile, and had moved to Edmonton with her boyfriend, Cory McInnis. She’d left the children in the care of their great-grandmother, Angeline Courtorielle, until she and Cory got settled. That spring, she called Angeline to say she was going to pick up the kids, but never made it. A few months later, she gave birth to her third child, Cory, Jr., who was taken from her custody and put under the care of Alberta social services.
DISAPPEARANCE:
It’s reported Roxanne’s family last saw her in 2006.
In 2007, officers with the Edmonton Police Service arrested Roxanne on prostitution charges, at which time she was in regular contact with her family. However, she stopped calling them son after. She pleaded guilty to the charges against her and some were dropped.
Nicole last heard from her sister in September 2007. During the call, Roxanne assured her that everything was fine and said she was still in the Edmonton area.
The last known sighting of Roxanne was in Edmonton on June 20, 2008. She was living in the area of 118 Avenue, between the Beverly neighbourhood and 97 Street. She was officially reported missing to the Valleyview detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on September 24, 2013. The Edmonton Police Service became involved a month later and is now the lead investigating agency on the case.
SEARCH:
Roxanne’s family started their search for her years before the authorities got involved.
Angeline says Edmonton police revealed to her that Roxanne was picked up by the RCMP on a prostitution charge in Fort St. John, British Columbia, in February 2011. However, when contacted by the media, they wouldn’t confirm or deny that the interaction occurred, and there are no court records about the alleged charges against her.
The Edmonton Police Service did a check of Roxanne’s Alberta Health Service file, but it didn’t reveal anything that would help with the investigation. This is because her records are maintained by Health Canada, as she’s Indigenous.
In 2021, the RCMP highlighted Roxanne’s disappearance as part of a campaign to showcase 11 cases over 11 weeks. This coincided with the Sisters in Spirit Vigil held by the Native Women’s Association of Canada each October.
The Edmonton Police Service is still in charge of the investigation. While it remains open, no leads have been received.
AFTERMATH:
Angeline and her husband, Albert, are now raising Roxanne’s children with the money they receive from their pension. They are also raising two others who are not their own.
Angeline was diagnosed with cancer following Roxanne’s disappearance. She’s since gone into remission, but has suffered other health issues, including a stroke.
DETAILS:
Roxanne Marie Isadore went missing from Edmonton, Alberta, on June 20, 2008. She was 25 years old, and was last seen wearing a grey tank top and blue jeans.
At the time of her disappearance, Roxanne had a slender build, standing between 5’0″ and 5’1″ and weighing 110-121 pounds. She has long, straight brown hair that may be dyed red, brown eyes and false front teeth. She has two tattoos – a cross on her right middle finger and a large knife with a snake and heart on her right shin, just below the knee – as well as a 2″ scar on her left shoulder and an appendix scar on her abdomen.
The 25-year-old goes by the following aliases: Sunshine Courtoreille, Nicole Courtoreille, Rollanda Sunshine, Roxanne Courtoreille, Roxanne Blue and Roxanne Sunshine.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Currently, Roxanne’s disappearance is classified as a missing persons investigation.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Edmonton Police Service at (780) 423-4567. Tips can also be called in anonymously via Crime Stoppers at +1 (800) 222-8477.
Image Credit: Edmonton Police Service/CBC
Stories of the Unsolved 
Reblogged this on Whipped Owl.
This is so terribly sad. She suffered so much growing up and then for that to happen to her as an adult is awful. This is my first time hearing of this case.