Months after the search for a missing Australian woman was suspended, Whistler RCMP has confirmed her remains have been found and identified, reports Global News.
Alison Raspa was first reported missing on Nov. 23, hours after she was last seen leaving a Whistler bar, but multiple searches found no trace of the 25-year-old.
Police say they were alerted at around 7:30 Friday night to the discovery of human remains within Alpha Lake. Crews confirmed the remains were found in the north end of the lake, which was partially frozen. The BC Coroners Service confirmed to police over the weekend that the remains were those of Raspa.
Police say the cause of death has not been determined, but it does not appear suspicious. An investigation is ongoing in cooperation with Raspa’s family in Australia, who have been notified of her discovery.
Witnesses say they last saw Raspa leaving the Three Below Bar on Blackcomb Way just before midnight on Nov. 22, and she was reported missing by co-workers the next day. She reportedly got on public transit and ended up in Alpha Lake Park. A text message from Raspa to her friends around 1:15 am said she was lost.
A personal item was found in Alpha Lake Park on the morning of Nov. 23. Multiple search and rescue crews, including dive teams, searched the lake and the surrounding park for Raspa for nearly two weeks before calling off the search.
Australian news reports at the time said Raspa was from Perth and moved to Canada in May of last year. She was working at a Whistler hotel at the time she disappeared.
Police are asking anyone with more information about Raspa and the events of the night she disappeared to contact them immediately.
