London police confirm remains discovered in South-West Oxford Township late last month belong to a woman who has been missing for six years.
Vanessa Anne Fotheringham was 24 years old when she was last seen on Feb. 16, 2012. Investigators say the man charged with second degree murder in the case fled to Mexico, and he continues to elude police.
Last Saturday provincial police were called to the Hawkins Tract Catfish Creek Conservation area, where a citizen had made the grim discovery.
Speaking to media Friday morning, Det. Sgt. Alex Krygsman said they were able to identify the remains after they were sent to The Centre for Forensic Sciences, at which point the investigation was turned over to London police.
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“The discovery and return of her remains offers us important evidence to assist our investigation, and eventually a prosecution.”
Krygsman says Fotheringham and the suspect in the case, Antonio Valentin Resendez Cortez, were known to each other, but wouldn’t say whether they were romantically involved.
Resendez Cortez was a migrant worker from Mexico, working in the area in 2012.
“We don’t believe he’s in this jurisdiction. We believe that shortly after Vanessa went missing, he fled Canada to Mexico, and we have reason to believe he’s still there.”
Krysgman said the remains were discovered in a wooded area, but wouldn’t say whether all the remains had been found. He also wouldn’t say whether investigators had determined the cause of death, citing the ongoing investigation.
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“Investigators have been in contact with Vanessa’s family. I can’t speak for them — they’re not here — but I can imagine there’s a whole range of emotions. And one thing I want to emphasis, in the past the family has asked us to respect their privacy, and they continue to do so.”
Fotherington was reported missing to London police on Feb. 21, 2012. Resendez Cortez was charged with second degree murder four years later, in April 2016.
Krysgman said London police officers haven’t been to Mexico, and he was cagey about saying where else the investigation has taken them.
London police’s major crimes section is working with the RCMP and Mexican authorities to find the suspect.
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