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Human remains in OKIB vehicle fire ID’ed as Whitehorse woman, deemed homicide

27-year-old Erin Borgford’s death deemed a homicide: major crimes
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The remnants of a suspicious car fire can be seen on Louis Road off Westside Road. Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP are looking for more witnesses or information to the blaze, which was called in Sunday, Sept. 20, at 5:14 a.m. (Leo Louis photo)

A homicide investigation is underway after a Whitehorse woman’s remains were found in a burned-out vehicle in the North Okanagan in September.

An autopsy confirmed the remains discovered in a 2014 Nissan Rogue Sept. 20 are those of 27-year-old Erin Chelsea Borgford, the B.C. RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit said in an Oct. 2 statement.

Her death is being treated as a homicide.

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP responded to reports of a vehicle fire on Louis Estates Road off Westside Road around 5:14 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.

Major crimes took over the investigation after firefighters spotted what they believed were human remains inside the burned-out vehicle.

No further details about Borgford’s death are being released, the statement reads, but investigators are asking anyone who saw her, the grey 2014 Nissan Rouge she was driving Sept. 19, or has dashcam footage of the Westside Road area in Vernon the evening of Sept. 19 or early morning of Sept. 20 to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the B.C. RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit at 1-877-987-8477.

— with Black Press files

READ MORE: Suspected human remains found in burned-out vehicle on OKIB land

READ MORE: More hate flyers found near Vernon school


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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com

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An autopsy of human remains found in a burned-out SUV discovered off Westside Road Sept. 20, 2020, are those of Erin Chelsea Borgford, 27, of Whitehorse. Her death is being treated as a homicide. (RCMP Handout)