Police say Dawn Walker and her seven-year-old son, Vincent Jansen, have been located alive in Oregon after entering the United States illegally.
“Both are reported to be safe and well. Agency representatives are currently working out the details to arrange their return to Canada,” said a news release from the Saskatoon Police Service.
They said the mother-son duo was located Friday morning in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Officials are still looking into how to return Jansen to a legal guardian while Walker is in custody.
“U.S. authorities are considering the implications and any potential action as a result of illegal entry into the U.S. Pending any action by U.S. authorities, Dawn Walker will be returned to Saskatoon to meet with investigators,” police said.
Walker’s mother said she was glad to hear her daughter and grandson were found safe.
“Our prayers have been answered. The past 15 days have been extremely difficult for our family and community. We are very grateful to all those who helped with the search efforts…” Theresa Walker said in a statement written “… we will continue to support [Walker] through this future challenge.”
A mysterious disappearance
Walker, a 48-year-old member of the Okanese First Nation, was first reported to police on July 24 after friends and family had not heard from her, behavior described as out of character . He was last seen on July 22 at a business in the 300 block of Owen Manor in Saskatoon.
On July 25, police found Walker’s truck and other personal belongings in Chief Whitecap Park, south of Saskatoon, near the South Saskatchewan River. Police learned that someone in the area had found Walker’s purse a couple of days earlier.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) repeatedly appealed to the public for help and implored the police to conduct a thorough investigation. The boy’s father had also appealed to the public for help, “desperately begging” people to spread the word about his son’s disappearance.
Family and supporters of Dawn Walker and her son held a walk last week, praying for his return. (CBC News)
Volunteers, family, friends and police spent days searching the Saskatoon area for Walker and her son by land, air and water.
Although Walker and her son have been located, Saskatoon police are still asking anyone with information related to this investigation to call their local police department or Crime Stoppers. Saskatoon police said they will release more information Monday.
“Many complex issues”
Walker is the chief operating officer of the FSIN, the organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. She is also a well-known author who was recently nominated for a national book award.
FSIN spokespeople declined CBC’s request for an interview after Walker and her son were found, but the organization released a written statement.
“At FSIN we know why First Nations women go missing and we recognize that there are many complex issues surrounding their disappearances. This is clearly the case for Dawn and her son Vinnie, and we will be closely following the legal process with more details about it. the case was made public,” said Heather Bear, vice president of FSIN.
FSIN deputy chief Heather Bear said the organization recognizes “there are a lot of complex issues surrounding” missing Indigenous women. (Chance Lagaden/CBC)
Family fundraising
On Friday afternoon, members of Jansen’s family updated their GoFundMe page that was raising money to help search for the missing people.
“Thank you all for your support! Our family is excited and can’t wait so please have Vinnie home!” now read
They have stopped new donations, limiting the total raised to $46,575.
“After reimbursing the poster’s outstanding costs and setting aside funds for a possible reward, we will decide how to distribute the remaining funds to support efforts to find other missing children and support other families of missing children,” their statement said .