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9, No. 14,, Tuesday, January8, 14, 2014 Vol.Vol. 7, No. 2, Tuesday, November 2011
RCMP Special Tactical Operations members put their boots to the ground in search of missing Mundare woman
MICHELLE PINON PHOTOS
Members of the RCMP Alberta Special Tactical Operations (STO) team were scouring the streets of Mundare in search of 44-year-old Deanna MacNeil, a resident of Mundare that was last seen by friends the evening of Nov. 28. To date, pleas for the public’s assistance has not resulted in locating her whereabouts. Michelle Pinon Editor
"You prepare for the worst and hope for the best." Those were some of the words spoken by RCMP Cst. Grant Kneller, who along with 17 other members of the Special Tactical Operations (STO) team were searching for 44-year-old Mundare resident Deanna MacNeil who has not been seen since Nov.28, 2013. There were boots on the ground and hands in the snow as they walked over every square inch of the town Jan. 10 and 11. Using shovels and rakes, along with their specialized knowledge and training meticulously searched for clues that would hopeDeanna fully lead to her whereabouts. Members began working shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday, starting in the areas of higher probability, and going from there. "Given she's such a small lady, there are lots of place she could hide." MacNeil stands 5'5" tall, weighs 125 lbs., and has hazel eyes and long brown hair. With the amount of snow cover, Cst. Kneller, said it would be quite the challenge to comb all the streets and avenues, back alleys, and yards in the community; but added that members were up for the challenge, during an interview at the Mundare Recreation Centre where the operational command centre was located.
"There are a lot of backyards that don't have fences so we'll have to expand the scope of the search," added Cst. Kneller. But by the end of the day he was pleased with the progress team members had made, and were ready to go out in full force again Sunday. Rest assured, they would leave no stone unturned, pointed out Cst. Kneller. "We want to bring her back to her family." But as the search ended on day two, MacNeil had not been found. Even though they did not find anything concrete, Cst. Kneller said people should not give up hope as any information "no matter how small" could lead to a break in the case. All of the information that was compiled during the search will now be passed onto MacNeil the general investigation section in Edmonton. Any further information from the public can be directed to the Vegreville RCMP or Crimestoppers. Last year, STO had 39 deployments throughout the province, noted Cst. Kneller. Members have been sent out in search of missing people, crime scene evidence and security detail, and as a tactical troop to maintain public order. A couple of assignments included assistance during the strike at Lakeside Packers in Brooks, helping flood victims in and around High River, and most recently during an attempted murder investigation near Milk River.
STO members Cst. Rob Peters, left, and Cst. Grant Kneller stand beside their equipment that was set up by the Mundare Recreation Centre this past weekend during the townwide search.