Tina Fontaine : Body of 15-year-old aboriginal girl found in Winnipeg river

Winnipeg police have released the identity of a girl found dead in the Red River Sunday afternoon.

Tina Fontaine, 15, was reported missing on Aug. 9. Her body was found in the Red River near the Alexander Docks at about 1:30 p.m., more than a week after she was reported missing.

Fontaine had recently come under the care of Child and Family Services and had been living in Winnipeg for less than a month before her death.

An autopsy was completed on Monday. However, O’Donovan said he wouldn’t comment on the condition of her body or how she died.

Police are looking for anyone who can provide information on what happened to Fontaine between Aug. 8 — the last time anyone had contact with her — and Sunday, when her body was discovered.

She was last seen in the Portage Place area wearing a white skirt, blue jacket and pink and white runners, O’Donovan said.

It is still unclear how long Fontaine had been dead for or how long her body was in the river.

According to missing persons reports filed in July and November by RCMP, Fontaine had run away twice from her previous home in Powerview, a small town about 130 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Both reports indicated she frequented Winnipeg.

“Obviously she was in danger in doing that, and at 15 I’m sure she didn’t realize the danger she was putting herself. We are asking for people to help us and come forward.”

Both previous times she went missing, she was located safely within a few weeks.

Agencies/Canadajournal