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, 2-year-old Nicole. Following Roxanne’s birth, Dorothy gave birth to two more girls, Nicole and Rollanda. The family are members of 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. While they eventually stopped, it was decided she would return to British Columbia to live permanently with her mother. Following the move, she is said to have become a “joyful little girl”.
As she entered adolescence, Roxanne tried to kill herself 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, she 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 became dependent on drugs and alcohol.
By late 2006, Roxanne was the mother of two – 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 children, 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’s 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, during which time she was in regular contact with her family. She pled guilty to the charges against her and some were dropped.
Following her arrest, Roxanne stopped calling her family.
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.
Roxanne was officially reported missing to the Valleyview detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on September 24, 2013. The Edmonton Police Service became involved a month later and is now the lead on the case.
INVESTIGATION:
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 CBC, the RCMP would not 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, but they didn’t reveal anything that would help in the investigation. This is because her records are maintained by Health Canada, as she’s Indigenous.
In 2021, the RCMP highlighted the case 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 Roxanne’s case. 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 other children 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.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
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, she had a slender build, standing between 5’0″ and 5’1″ and weighing 110 to 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.
She goes by the following aliases: Sunshine Courtoreille, Nicole Courtoreille, Rollanda Sunshine, Roxanne Courtoreille, Roxanne Blue and Roxanne Sunshine.
Currently, the case is classified as a missing persons investigation. If alive, she would be 39 years old.
Those with information regarding the case are 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.