Mary Jane Hill
Date of birth: August 27, 1947
Date of death: March 26, 1978
Location: On highway 16 outside of Prince Rupert, BC
Cause of Death: Bronchitis and bronchopneumonia as a result of manslaughter
Status: Unsolved
Details: Mary Jane Hill, 31, was found dead on March 26, 1978, along Highway 16, also known as the notorious “Highway of Tears” that runs through northern British Columbia. An inquest report stated that her death was “a result of manslaughter,” but no one has ever been charged.
Despite the medical ruling, several factors suggested foul play. Mary Jane was found naked on the highway, her clothes were found in an alley in Prince Rupert, approximately 33 km’s away from her body & semen was found on her body during the initial examination.
Her daughter, Vicky Hill, has been searching for answers since then. She says there’s been little investigation into the cold case, but she sees ample evidence that someone had left her mother to die by the highway. In 2017, Vicki spoke at the MMIWG inquiry hearings in Smithers, B.C. She spoke about the frustration she has that her mother is not recognized by the RCMP as a victim of the Highway of Tears.
The RCMP task force Project E-PANA – dedicated to investigating victims along Highway 16 – has repeatedly refused to include her case. They cite the “uncertainty of foul play” and the fact that she was not engaged in “high-risk activity” like hitchhiking as reasons for her exclusion
Mary Jane Hill is a member of Nisga’a Nation
If you have any information regarding the death of Mary Jane Hill, please contact:
Prince Rupert Police Service: 250-624-2136
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477)
Online at: https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip
Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping
Sources:
Justice For Native People
CBC – Missing & Murdered: The Unsolved Cases of Indigenous Women and Girls
Vancouver Sun
Someone Saw Something 
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