Project Devote investigators appealed to the public today for tips in the 1998 murder of Evelyn Stewart.
Ms. Stewart was a Winnipeg resident whose body was located in the early morning hours on March 20th, 1998 in a parking lot in the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg.
Investigators determined that Evelyn Stewart had been seen by acquaintances approximately one hour earlier in the Higgins area. Due to the level of violence involved in the homicide, Project Devote investigators strongly believe that the person or persons responsible may have been known to Evelyn.
“Project Devote continues to gather and follow the evidence. Through our investigation, new information has come to light,” said Winnipeg Police Service Detective Sergeant Randy Levasseur, an investigator with Project Devote and the lead investigator in the murder of Evelyn Stewart. “We believe her killer was known to her and that this was not a random attack. Someone needs to step forward and help solve the murder of Evelyn Stewart.”
Investigators consider Evelyn Stewart as a vulnerable exploited person, as she supported her addiction to street drugs by working in the survival sex trade. She was known to frequent the hotels and bars on the Main Street strip, including the Northern, Sutherland and Mount Royal hotels, as well as the area of Higgins Avenue just east of Main Street.
Seeking more investigational leads in this unsolved homicide, Project Devote has also put up billboards and posters in the area.
“Project Devote is committed to identifying the person or persons responsible for the death of Evelyn Stewart,” said Inspector Dennis McGuffin, RCMP Officer in Charge of Major Crime Services in Manitoba. “Our ultimate goal is to bring justice to Evelyn and her family.”
Project Devote is a provincial integrated task force of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Winnipeg Police Service focusing on missing and murdered exploited persons. Manitoba Justice has designated two prosecutors and a Family Liaison/Victim Services Worker to work with Project Devote.
If you have information that can help with the investigation of the murder Evelyn Stewart, call investigators on the Project Devote tipline at 1-888-673-3316. Valuable information could include previous contact or past knowledge of the victim, and could prove helpful to the investigation. If you want to remain anonymous, you can call Winnipeg CrimeStoppers at 204-786-TIPS(8477).
