VPD turns to pollen evidence in effort to identify woman found dead off Vancouver’s Spanish Banks

Olivia Singh

5/26/20262 min read

Vancouver police are using an unusual forensic tool in hopes of finally identifying a woman whose body was found floating off Spanish Banks in 2022.

The Vancouver Police Department said Monday that pollen and fern spore analysis from the woman’s clothing suggests she may have spent her final days in an urban area of the Pacific Northwest, most likely around Seattle or Portland. Investigators say the finding is important because it points away from Vancouver and could help narrow the search for someone who knew her.

New forensic clue points south of the border

According to VPD, the breakthrough came after the woman’s backpack and sweater were sent to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection laboratory in Chicago for specialized testing. A report submitted to police in July 2025 found that pollen grains and fern spores on her sweater were consistent with recent exposure to an urban environment in the Pacific Northwest, plausibly Seattle or Portland.

Police also said the testing found a near total absence of pollen or spores from the Vancouver area, strengthening the theory that she was not from Vancouver and may have arrived from elsewhere shortly before her death.

Body found near kayak in 2022

The woman’s body was discovered around 9 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2022, by a tugboat crew in the waters off Spanish Banks. She was found near an inflatable kayak and had a backpack containing candy and insulin, but no identification. Investigators have said those details raise the possibility that she may have experienced diabetic distress before ending up in the water.

Despite extensive efforts, including missing-person checks across North America and through Interpol, police say no report has matched her description. VPD believes she was in her 30s and of African descent.

Police widening appeal beyond Vancouver

With the new evidence in hand, Vancouver police are expanding their outreach beyond B.C. Investigators have said they will travel to Seattle and work with the Seattle Police Department and Portland Police Bureau to amplify the appeal and try to generate new leads.

Police say identifying the woman remains the central goal of the investigation so her family can be found and notified.

For VPD, the hope is that this new forensic lead will finally connect the case to someone who has been missing her - a sister, friend, aunt or loved one - and bring answers to a mystery that has remained unresolved for nearly four years.

News

Stay updated with the latest BC news stories, subscribe to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE

LINKS

Ethics