Thunder Bay police investigating who wrote ‘I killed those kids’ on train car

APTN National News
Thunder Bay police say it is investigating who wrote “I killed those kids’ in black marker on an old train car near the site of where the body of Jethro Anderson was found in 2000.

APTN National News knows this because on Thursday a Thunder Bay detective called APTN reporter Kenneth Jackson, who found the writing and tweeted a picture of it Wednesday evening.

Det. John Read asked Jackson if he could meet with an investigator at police headquarters and give a statement recorded on camera.

Jackson declined saying he had nothing to offer, explaining he saw the writing, took a picture and tweeted it.

“You found information about somebody killing kids. That’s pretty important information don’t you think?” said Read.

When Jackson explained again he had nothing to offer, Read said it’s policy to have people who find information in a potential homicide to give a recorded statement.

“You are potentially a witness to something incredibly important,” said Read.

Jackson explained he didn’t see who wrote it, or when it was written, but did say he never touched the train car so perhaps police could check for fingerprints.

The writing is on an old VIA passenger car next to Kaministiquia River where Anderson, 15, was found. It was still there Thursday afternoon.

His death was the first of seven First Nations youth that were the focus of an inquest that wrapped up last year.
The inquest ruled his death as undetermined.

Family said it took Thunder Bay police days to launch an investigation into Anderson’s disappearance back in 2000.
Two more First Nation youth were pulled for waterways last month: Tammy Keeash, 17, and Josiah Begg, 14.

Keeash’s mother said she doesn’t accept that her daughter drowned in the Neebing McIntyre floodway as there was no water where her body was found and is it is full of heavy reeds.

Keeash also had markings on her face and hands as reported Tuesday by APTN.

Police said Wednesday they have examined the evidence and don’t suspect foul play but the case remains open.

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38 thoughts on “Thunder Bay police investigating who wrote ‘I killed those kids’ on train car

  1. Sleeping Giant says:

    Thunder Bay Police have apprehended a 27-year-old city man in connection with mischief to the VIA train at the Kamview Overlook Park.

    Glenn Kwandibens has been charged with Mischief Under $5,000 and Breach of Probation.

    Police say he was arrested on George Street without incident on Saturday evening.

    Kwandibens has been released from custody on a promise to appear in court.

    Police began the investigation last week after learning through social media about a message saying “I killed those kids” that was found on the side of the train which is parked at Kamview Overlook Park as a tourist attraction.

    The City of Thunder Bay subsequently removed the graffiti.

  2. I have to say that APTN news has been much more open and honest than the news sites from Thunder Bay. They just showed a via rail car where as APTN shows the actual graffiti which is the most important clue so far. I am also curious about the scribble just above the words written as they both look like they are from the same marker. Anyway, if the news agencies in Thunder Bay had the testicular fortitude to publish the picture of the graffiti, maybe someone would recognize the writing style and there could be some progress in the case instead of this limbo of waiting and wondering.

  3. This is so tragic. …I mean what are the odds of all these kids dieing…they all have water surrounding their own home lands. Why aren’t they drowning there? Way to fishy. Time to keep your eyes aND ears peeled people

  4. I’m a white woman and again see how police discriminate based on race, although they like to attempt to power trip with anyone (small man syndrome). 7 Aboriginal children go missing and it’s ruled as no evidence of foul play? Are you fucking kidding me? Just because the Thunder Bay Police are too stupid to catch the killer, doesn’t mean a whole bunch of Aboriginal children all of a sudden drowned. Get your ass to work and earn your tax paid salaries!

  5. I grew up near Red Lake Ontario, like over 50 years ago and I remember the stories from people back then, how kids in Thunder Bay and Kenora would tie bricks to FN kids legs and throw them into the river to see if they could swim.
    I remember stories of cops driving FN kids way out of town and leaving them to walk home, in the winter. A winter in Kenora or Thunder Bay is no joke.
    I remember the suicides of kids I knew on reserves.
    I was white and I knew those stories. This is nothing new.
    White colonial Canadians have a deep and disturbing racism and ignorance against First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. It runs deep.
    I have seen it when white people have mistaken me for a FN woman, and when people assumed because I was white I would agree. I have seen this racism my whole life, don’t belittle this issue.
    When people are telling you their kids are being murdered it is because they are. Lots of kids get drunk and high, of all ethnicity’s, but it seems only FN, Inuit, Metis kids get murdered. Except in the States, the black kids and Latinos get killed there too.
    No this is real and it has been going on for over 200 years. It was well ignored, that is for sure. But it is not ignored any longer and I will speak my truth and my experience as I hope all others will as well.
    We need to stand up for our kids, because if Canada is ever going to be the meeting place it was meant to be, we have to understand that these are our kids.
    We have to go after the systemic racism, guilt and fear that allows this evil to breed.
    I leave with a Hawaiian custom my good friends and Kahuna’s taught me…
    If I, or any of my ancestors caused harm to you, or any of your ancestors, by word, thought or deed, I am truly sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you for your strength and endurance. I love you.

  6. I’m not familiar with the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway trail, maybe it’s not practical, but why hasn’t a sting operation been set-up, either by natives or police?

  7. Prolly protecting one of their own, who else could commit so many obvious murders and get away with it??

  8. I dont care if your native, black, white, pink or purple it shouldnt matter your nationality a life is a life a child is a child they should be outraged by the deaths and stop at nothing to find the killer of these children.

    1. face all marked up? where you getting this info from. none of them had superficial wounds or wounds at all. Ask the fmailies for the toxicology report that they don’t want to release. pretty fishy if you ask me.

      1. 3rd line from bottom of article… or didnt you read it all? … Keeash also had markings on her face and hands as reported Tuesday by APTN.

      2. did you not read the story or do you just see what you want to see ?
        “FACE AND HANDS MARKED UP”

  9. Sloppy police work to investigate reporter doing their job. Forensics should have dusted and taken handwriting analysis pics. Height of handwriting, distinguishable “k”, & serial killer saying “I” deflectionable intent? Sleep with your GoPro on Ken, he or they will be watching you.

  10. Really why do the rcmp always say no foul play there dead omg that is foul play ya think

    1. No foul play because its true there wasnt any foul play, prety weird that the families dont want to release the actual cause of death after receiving it eh after blaming the city and the police. heres the kicker, as a FN member. I’m truly emberrased at how our leaders are dealing with this. they all know about the drug and alocohol abuse epidemic on reserves yet still send them here without the proper help. and excuse me? how can you blame other people when your 14 year old kid is out at all hours of the night doing whatever and u dont even care, now hes dead and u all of a sudden care that he was out? take care of ur kids. call me r racist and whatnot all you want its teh truth and im brown. take responsibility instead of passing the blame. and you wonder why ppl get upset with us. acting like goofs.

      1. Lmao- nice try. Creating fake accounts and claiming you are First Nation doesn’t fool anyone. Why would one of our people talk so horribly about how these poor children are missing/murdered? Just another racist person who appears to hate our beautiful native people and is too afraid to show their real identity when confronted. Grow up and find something else that do with your boring life. These poor children don’t deserve to be spoken about like this.

      2. The article we are commenting on… the last 2 paragraphs; The mother of Tammy K (rip) tells of her daughter’s appearance and that she doesn’t believe that her daughter drowned as she was found amongst heavy reeds.
        I do agree with you on drug & alcohol problem that plagues our people and many others. We all know Thunder Bay is not a safe city anymore. With that said….Why weren’t they together if they came together for medical appointments? So many unanswered questions?? I hope for a peaceful resolution.

    2. You’re pathetic! FAKE FWFNRezMember! It’s not just Natives that have drug and alcohol problems. I come from North Bay, a prodominately white area. A city of 55,000 has 2 residential treatment programs and 4 methadone clinics. Just because you use alcohol or drugs, doesn’t mean that you randomly die. The fact that these 7 were ALL teenage Aboriginal children who disappeared over a relatively short period of time speaks volumes. You don’t get drunk and randomly die. You don’t do coke or opiates and randomly die either. I could potentially see a drunk person drowning in a large body of water. This wasn’t the case. Drugs like coke and opiates don’t make you go stupid. They might make you steal shit, or not pay your rent, but that’s about it. So stop making this to be something that it’s not. Even if all the kids did have drugs or alcohol in the systems, which could have been from a month prior, no wonder they wouldn’t want to release that. Because trolls like you back up the cops when they don’t do their job properly. This isnt a random coincidence. Give your head a shake.

  11. I read this article actually read it twice.

    …He said he never touched the train…If…If… he wrote it..He wouldn’t of have to touch the train…He had writing tools.. Marker… Or whatever it was written with… Curious as to why he didn’t want to answer to too much., just a thought

    1. I can see his point. The police are not always looking for truth, rather any but, at times.

    2. You’re seriously going to accuse a reporter of doing this? You’re spun. You know why he didn’t want to answer much? 1. Because he had NO information to give other than where and when he saw the writing. 2. Also possibly because he knows that police like to spin stuff. When they’re doing shitty work and have pressure to resolve a case, they’ll do just about anything to make that happen (including saying that 7 Aboriginal children’s deaths had no evidence of foul play…

    1. Why would an APTN Reporter write something so horrible? And you know what…just looking at how those Thunderbay region police act towards Native people…is be too disgusted too. I would decline…because as a Native person why should I jump for them when they treat Native people so poorly? I have had too many negative experiences to know the frustration that comes with this. If you are brown…chances are they don’t treat you the same as when you have light skin. Sad. So maybe entertain the reasons I gave and put yourself in that reporter’s shoes. I’m sure they knew about it. But it’s only when it was aired did they suddenly show interest.

      1. I have native background from my father’s side…. I believe in the Earth….. Sadly, lately in Canada the only brown people who matter, aren’t Canadians…… Saddening I know………… I hope they catch whoever is doing this!!!! I also hope that one day they can stop the people from stealing so many native girls to sell to other Countries….. It’s just so gut wrenching to know that this is happening here!!!! We are supposed to be Strong and Free

      2. The article states that: Kenneth Jackson @afixedaddress, who happens to be an APTN Reporter when he tweeted & posted a picture of VIA Rail Car “Train yard confession”.

    1. I believe so too. I think these are lynchings. Racism towards our people IS that bad.

  12. I am a non-Native and I am concerned. I find this despicable and whoever did this needs to be caught.

    1. I am Native…and I thank you for voicing your concern. Our kids need to know their lives matter. Please keep raising concerns. We need people to care and let those who hate us know, “Canada does not stand for racism and hatred of any group. Canada is about VALUING ALL LIVES, ALL NATIONS…AND VALUES DIVERSITY.

      1. this is only one of canada’s dirty little secrets that:

        “Canada does not stand for racism and hatred of any group. Canada is about VALUING ALL LIVES, ALL NATIONS…AND VALUES DIVERSITY”.

        look at the justice system, the Indian Act, the DIA, INAC , etc..

        150 years of trying to eradicate the Natives and we are still here

      2. Why in the hell isn’t the Thunder Bay OPP not trying harder to catch these people that are killing these children?Just because they are First Nation people does not mean their lives do not matter.I can just bet if in fact it was one of the OPPs children the OPP wouldn’t stop looking for the people doing this and they would have been charged and convicted already.Havent the Native people of Canada suffered enough in this lifetime.For God sakes Thunder Bay police force use your heads and get these killers off the dam street.i am a white female and I believe that we all should treat everyone equally in this world.

    2. I am also non native, and female, and i absolutely agree. Whoever is behind this needs to be caught.

    3. Amen Joe! This is despicable behaviour. But just maybe the police are starting to pay attention. Do they have a serial killer in their midst?

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