Woman's disappearance in July ruled suspicious 3 months later

EDMONTON -

The disappearance of an Edmonton woman is being investigated by homicide detectives.

Police believe Nicole Frenchman could be dead, three months after she was last seen.

The 23-year-old was reported missing on Aug. 10, a month after she had last been seen downtown on July 9.

“There were concerns for her welfare as it was uncharacteristic for Nicole to not be in contact with family or friends, or to be absent from social media for an extended period of time like she had been,” Insp. Brent Dahlseide with Edmonton Police Service’s major crimes branch told media.

“At that time, there was nothing that was coming to light in the initial week of investigation that would indicate there was anything criminal in nature to do with her disappearance.”

However, in the time since, Dahlseide said investigators reached a point “where it just doesn’t sit right anymore, there’s starting to be some suspicion.”

In the first few days after the missing persons report was filed, police struck out looking into Frenchman’s banking and online activity. The file then went from the patrol division to the missing persons unit on Aug. 13, to the homicide section on Aug. 27.

In interviews with family and friends, investigators confirmed Frenchman was last seen in the Kingsway area north of Royal Alexandra Hospital on July 10, when she was believed to have gotten into a truck.

The last communication from her phone happened early that morning.

“We’re at that point in our investigation where we want to generate some more tips, so we’re hoping that releasing this information now about the truck will help do that and then getting it out in the view of the public again may trigger somebody’s memory,” Dahlseide said.

The truck Frenchman got into was described as a large pick up that may have had oversized tires and a lift kit. It was possibly grey.

Frenchman is about 5’4” tall and 130 pounds. She has long black hair and brown eyes, as well as several tattoos, including one of a blue woman wearing a crown on her upper right chest; a dream catcher on her right forearm; and a flower and a dollar sign on her right hand.

Anyone with information about the missing woman is asked to call Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.