Mariella Lennie was very pretty, outgoing, she could talk to anyone. Unfortunately she was also very naive & trusting. She believed that nothing would happen to her.
In 1991, Mariella was 17 years old and needed a fresh start. Mariella came to Yellowknife to live with her auntie Bertha Lennie and attend school. She left her four-month-old son in the custody of her parents, Wilfred and Sarah in Tulita, NWT where she grew up. Not long after moving in, Mariella decided to stay with her cousin.
At this point, auntie Bertha lost contact with her niece so she did not find out that Mariella was missing right away. A friend had told her about a TV news story.
Mariella was last seen leaving the Discovery Inn on 50 Avenue on Oct. 6, 1991 at 6:00PM & she was travelling on foot. Twelve days later, on October 18 Mariella was reported missing. Initially auntie Bertha had thought that Mariella had left on her own. She was, after all very outgoing and would talk to anyone. Then, several months went by. Mariella’s family had been searching for her locally they started to hear rumors of Mariella being in Edmonton. People claimed to have physically seen her there. These rumors were just that, rumors.
On May 8, 1992 Mariella’s body was found on Great Slave Lake near Con Mine – nearly seven months later.
Her body was in such bad condition that the RCMP had to use dental records to identify her remains. Law enforcement has not released a cause of death.
“It is a suspicious death, foul play has not been eliminated.” A statement from the police force.
Mariella’s body was found over 31 years ago. The outward appearance is that no work has really been done to find out exactly how she ended up in Great Slave Lake. While the police say it is a suspicious death, there is no evidence showing that this case is still being actively investigated.
If anyone knows anything about the disappearance & murder of Mariella Lennie, Please contact:
NWT RCMP Major Crimes Unit at RCMP at 867-669-1111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Someone Saw Something 
Leave a comment