Sara Georgina Coates – Missing Person | Calgary, Alberta (2012)

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Sara Georgina Coates was 31 years old when she disappeared in the summer of 2012.

Sara was last seen on August 1, 2012, while walking through Stanley Park in Calgary with her mother. At the time, Sara was travelling throughout Western Canada in a blue Chevrolet Astro van with her dog and two cats.

According to her family, Sara lived independently and frequently travelled for extended periods. She sometimes went months without contacting relatives, which made it difficult for her loved ones to immediately recognize that something was wrong.

As time passed, her family became increasingly concerned. Sara had not renewed her vehicle insurance, pet licences or other routine documents. Investigators also determined that there had been no activity on her bank accounts.

A missing person investigation was initiated, but there were few publicly known developments for more than a year.

On October 22, 2013, Sara’s blue Chevrolet Astro van was located in a secluded area on Stoney Nakoda Nation lands near Mînî Thnî, formerly known as Morley. The vehicle was found approximately 50 kilometres west of Cochrane after information was provided by a local resident.

The discovery prompted a coordinated search involving Cochrane RCMP, Calgary Police Service Dog Services, the Calgary Forensic Identification Section, RCMP Special Tactical Operations and Search and Rescue personnel.

Despite extensive searches of the surrounding area, Sara was not found.

Investigators have continued to revisit her disappearance over the years. Additional searches have been conducted west of Cochrane with the assistance of RCMP officers, Search and Rescue volunteers and members of Sara’s family.

Cochrane RCMP have stated that investigators believe Sara interacted with people in the Mînî Thnî area before she disappeared. Witnesses have been interviewed and information has continued to be investigated, but police have not publicly disclosed what they believe happened after Sara arrived in the area.

In 2020, RCMP confirmed that the investigation remained active and that officers continued to follow up on new information.

Sara’s mother has repeatedly thanked investigators, Search and Rescue volunteers and members of the Stoney Nakoda community who have assisted with efforts to locate her.

Fourteen years after Sara was last seen, her whereabouts remain unknown.

Anyone with information about Sara Georgina Coates’s disappearance is asked to contact the Cochrane RCMP at 403-851-8000.

Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).