MIDDLESEX COUNTY, ON – A woman and two men found deceased in a car near the Oneida First Nation are from Six Nations. Turtle Island News has learned the three bodies have been identified and families have been notified.
The OPP discovery of three bodies in a car just outside Oneida First Nation has community members fearful and drawn attention to the community’s need for more police.
Oneida First Nation Chief Jessica Hill said the community doesn’t have 24/7 policing.
“ This incident is of great concern for our Nation and demonstrates an issue for our community safety and the greater need for additional policing and/or security personnel within our territory.”
Chief Jessica Hill said the community needs its own police, not OPP.
“Right now we don’t have a full compliment to do even 24/7 around the clock policing.”
She said the community is seeking fundering for at least two more officers “but now with this new development and magnitude of this kind of a crime, the not knowing. Everyone in our community is really fearful for their safety. I have a call now I have to get back to.”
OPP have launched a major investigation after three bodies were discovered in a vehicle near the First Nation Sunday, Nov., 4th around 10 a.m..
Monday OPP identified the three bodies as two men and a woman. The deaths are being treated as suspicious.
A post mortem examination has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service in Toronto.
The investigation has expanded to include the Middlesex OPP Major Crime Unit, OPP West Region Criminal Operations and OPP Forensic Identification Services (FIS) who are investigating the circumstances of the deaths, under the direction of Detective Inspector Pete Liptrott of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), with the assistance of the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
The investigation is ongoing.
The bodies were found in an area close to where the remains of 48-year-old, Douglas Hill of Six Nations was discovered in August a year ago.
Hill had been listed as a missing person in June of 2017. His body was found in August and the case became a homicide investigation.
Three people were eventually charged as accessories in his death but charges against all three were dropped last month.
Oneida First Nation Chief Jessica Hill issued a statement Monday sending prayers and condolences to the families of the deceased found near the community.
She said earlier the deceased are not from Oneida, a small community where three people missing would be noticed.
The issue has highlighted the need for more police in the community.
“This is something our council will be discussing. This is a tragic situation.”
She said the community is becoming more familiar to outsiders.
“It seems our time has come when people are becoming more familiar with our community and with people coming here more it just increases the potential for people seeing this as an easy place to do things like that.”
She said while the incident did not occur at Oneida, “It is close enough. It’s right next door to us.”
She said she has band members who live on the road.
“I had a call from a lady lives on that road. She is very concerned. She lives on the road that leads to that property.”
She said she has told the OPP “this shows you what can happen when people become more familiar with a community and surrounding areas.”
She said government services don’t realize the impact a lack of funding has on communities.
“People that provide services here don’t realize that people are becoming more familiar with our communities. They think because we live in the south everything is wonderful but we have increased crime and we have to address that and the people who provide the funding have to listen to us.”
She said it is having an affect. “It’s just a bad situation and I think a lot of first nations are going through the same problem as more people are aware of our communities, the lack of funding for services and they think anything goes because we never have the funding to develop the kind of laws and safety and security we need in place and the government knows this but they don’t put our safety first.”
Instead she said the community is at risk.
“Our women and children are put at risk. Everyone is, especially our elders.”
“I was really worried because I was away. Who are these people that do such things? Who does that and why? It really leaves you wondering and the place where it happened. You have to drive there. You have to know it to know its there. It’s near us enough to create great concern for our community members.”
Any one with information on the incident should immediately contact the Middlesex County OPP Major Crime Unit at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
