Lead investigator reflects on 20-year search for Tamra Keepness

One of the lead investigators in the Tamra Keepness disappearance is reflecting on a search that began nearly 20 years ago.

Jim Pratt is now retired, but he was an officer with the Regina Police Service and in charge of the investigation to find Keepness. His team worked with Indigenous organizations like the Montreal Lake Cree Nation search team, along with Regina Search and Rescue and RCMP Search and Rescue.

Pratt said on The Evan Bray Show that most of the search for Keepness was done within 100 kilometres of Regina.

“What happened was people would phone the police station and then the police station would relay the tips to the Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services and what they did was compile all the tips and they’d proceed to go out to the area and search wherever the tip came in,” Pratt explained.

According to Regina police, Keepness went missing on July 5, 2004. Even though multiple search crews looked for Keepness, investigators couldn’t find any trace of her.

Pratt said the search was very emotional as those seeking to find Keepness had to deal with a lack of success.

“What we had is our Elders with us who accommodated us on the search. I took a couple of Elders with us all the time and we’d have pipe ceremonies each day and give strength to our search team and hope we’d find this little girl,” Pratt said.

“It was hard on everybody. It was heartbreaking at the end of a search. We were positive to say, ‘Well, maybe a tip might come in tomorrow and we’ll find her.’ ”

Even though the search didn’t lead to any success finding Keepness, Pratt remembers the community was united when it came to trying to find her – especially the farmers.

“We got along good with them; we made friends out there,” he said. “The biggest thing is they called the little girl ‘our baby.’

“I remember standing at a crossroads watching the search teams in a field and these girls rolled down the window and asked, ‘Did you find our baby girl yet?’ I do believe they came back and dropped off a box of sandwiches and drinks for the search teams.”

He also mentioned farmers were willing to lend equipment to help with the search.

“We really had the co-operation and trust of the community for those three months. A baby girl brought the communities together even though our searches didn’t turn up what we expected,” he added.

Pratt said he stays in contact with people from that search and will pass along any new information he finds out to police.

In December, Regina’s Board of Police Commissioners voted to extend a $50,000 reward until Dec. 31 of this year for information that leads to determining Keepness’ whereabouts.