Christie Napope and Tamara Wolfe. Photo by Chelsea Lakowski
The family and friends of a Prince Albert man who went missing more than six months ago have more questions than answers.
Troy Cecil Napope, 23, a One Arrow band member, was last seen leaving a party in Prince Albert in late May, and that same day his car was found burnt outside the city.
A few days later he was reported missing by his family, and the RCMP started investigating.
Since then there’s been no body found, and no closure for his family.
Napope’s 16-year-old sister Christie says they’ve been stuck in limbo, mourning but holding out hope.
“We did release a cross and some balloons for him. But that was just his family,” she said, crying as she struggled to describe how his disappearance has affected her, finally saying “I hope there’s hope.”
Late last month, the RCMP announced that they consider Troy’s death to be suspicious – investigators suspect he’s been murdered. Christie says the RCMP hasnt contacted her in months.
“I just want answers. Where he is, and how it happened,” she said.
Troy had been in and out of jail throughout his life, but he was a devoted father to his son Carter, Christie said.
“When my mom was alive, he’d always phone the house and my mom would always put the phone to his ear,” she said.
Tamara Wolfe was a friend of Troy’s, and found out through chatting with him years ago that they were cousins. She’s been struck by how different his case was treated from another high-profile one around the same time.
“That young lady Danielle Nyland had actually went missing a week-and-a-half after Troy went missing,” she said. “It was all over the news. It was you know, like, search parties and everything for her, and she’d been missing only a day or two. And when Troy went missing, it was ‘oh, missing May 28th.’ You know, a little blurb.”
Tamara and Christie remember Troy as a happy and loyal person who loved his family, and don’t want people to label him just because he had a criminal record.
“He was in a gang, which doesn’t exactly mean he’s a bad person,” Tamara said. In the past she worked at a youth jail, and says she doesn’t pre-judge people affiliated with gangs.
“I learned that it’s a sense of belonging for these kids and when they come from homes, where they’re broken homes, or poverty, or domestic violence and stuff like that, they turn somewhere. Everybody needs a sense of belonging and that’s where they usually turn because these people help them out and put clothes on their back and they find a sense of safety and security with these people. Even though it may not be the greatest form of security, but to a child or a kid, young teenager that’s by themselves living on the street, that’s security enough for them,” she said.
Troy had lent Tamara money before he went missing, and she’s been devoted to helping his family ever since.
“For a young man like that to meet somebody and actually help me, and not have known me all his life, that actually means something to me,” Tamara said. “That explains his loyalty to a person and what a good guy he actually was.”
She’s gotten in touch with Troy’s family and partner, and helps out where she can.
“I just wanted to try to find him or get to know his family, I just had this undying need to do this for him, and I felt like I owed him,” Tamara said.
“That’s why I guess I’m here, and Christy is here with me is to give Troy a voice so, you know, he can be heard and justice can be served,” Tamara said.
Tamara’s even started her own search for clues on Troy’s disappearance, and has been sharing information with the RCMP.
Christie’s put in efforts as well, posting on Facebook for anyone with information on Troy to message her.
The RCMP says tips are coming in on Troy’s case since they changed the missing person file to a homicide investigation. Christie and Tamara are upset that it took this long for the RCMP to conclude something they feel was clear long ago.
“Foul play was obviously, it was evident. As soon as, like, his car was burnt, right? I think that’s enough evidence to say that there was foul play and that he went missing. I don’t think he would have just like took off and disappeared on his son like that,” Tamara said.
MBC contacted the RCMP communications in August when speculation on Facebook surfaced about whether Troy was still alive. The RCMP had no updates on his file at that time.