Pamela Holopainen

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Timmins Police Service Ontario Provincial Police South Porcupine (DETACHMENT)

Missing From:

Timmins, Ontario

Reward:

up to $50,000

via Ontario Provincial Police

Not from STC, Conditions and restrictions apply

Summary:

Pamela Jayne Holopainen, born August 1, 1981, was a 22-year-old young Inuk woman who disappeared in Timmins, Ontario in December 2003. She was last seen leaving a house party in Timmins, Ontario in December 2003. As of 2025, her whereabouts and the circumstances of her disappearance remain unknown.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On Saturday, December 13, 2003, Pamela Holopainen asked her sister Vanessa Brousseau to babysit her two young sons so that she and her common-law spouse Chris Manchester could attend a friend's house party. At around 2:00 am the next morning, Holopainen and Manchester had a public argument witnessed by other guests at the party. Holopainen was last seen leaving the house party followed closely by Manchester in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 14, 2003, and according to witnesses, she had intended to walk home to her residence at 77 Fourth Avenue in the Schumacher neighbourhood. At this time she was wearing a purple Columbia winter jacket, a silver necklace with a silver eagle pendant, and as many as four rings. In what her family has described as uncharacteristic behaviour, Pamela Holopainen was not in touch with her family after the night of the house party. Her sister Vanessa Brousseau attempted to contact her the day after the party but was only able to leave a voicemail and never received a response, and also tried to drop off Christmas presents for Holopainen's sons on December 16 but nobody answered the door. She and her mom reported Holopainen missing after New Year's Day. She was reported missing on December 31, 2003 by family members.

Additional Details:

A missing person's report was not immediately filed; the family was told that she was probably out drinking and to give it a few days, and weeks went by without any contact from police. In a January 4, 2004 Timmins police put out a missing person notice which read there was a possibility that Holopainen may have gone to the Hamilton, Ontario area, while police initially did not suspect foul play. Investigators asked for a meeting with the family and accused Holopainen of being a prostitute in Hamilton, which her sister said was not true. During this meeting they presented the family with a nude photograph of Holopainen found by investigators on her home computer. Ontario Provincial Police took over the investigation shortly afterwards, with OPP Detective Inspector Dave Truax of the Criminal Investigation Branch as the lead on the case. The Ontario Provincial Police began the investigation at the request of the Timmins Police Service on May 20, 2004. Police found evidence of blood on the walls, floor and door of her sister's apartment. A lengthy investigation followed, including ground searches of several areas of Timmins with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police, and all searches yielded negative results. In the autumn of 2004, the Ontario Provincial Police excavated a landfill and used cadaver dogs to search for Pamela's body, but they found no evidence. On May 10, 2005, police offered a $50,000 reward for information which would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Holopainen's disappearance. In the months after Pamela Holopainen's disappearance, her common-law spouse Chris Manchester was sued in family court by her mother Holly Kowtook, who was granted joint custody of her grandsons until her death on December 31, 2007, aged 45. A memorial organized by the Sisters in Spirit campaign was held at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre on the one-year anniversary of Holopainen's disappearance. There was a renewed interest in the case when the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was launched in 2016. As of October 2025, the investigation remains active but unresolved with the Timmins Police Service continuing to classify her as an outstanding missing person, no charges have been laid, and her remains have not been recovered. In December 2023, the 20th anniversary vigil drew over 100 participants in Timmins, including a walk from the site of her last sighting to the Timmins Native Friendship Centre, featuring drumming, speeches by elders, and banners demanding 'justice for Pamela Holopainen' and an end to 'stolen sisters.'

Case Last Updated:

Sep 06, 2026