🚨 Missing Woman – Portage la Prairie, Manitoba – Amber Lynn McFarland, 24 – Last Seen October 18, 2008
Amber Lynn McFarland was just 24 years old when she vanished without a trace in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Her case remains one of the province’s most haunting cold cases. Despite massive search efforts, extensive RCMP investigations, and the passage of over a decade, her family is still without answers.
On Saturday, October 18, 2008, in the early morning hours, Amber was last seen outside the Cat & Fiddle Night Club in Portage la Prairie. She was wearing a black sweater and blue jeans. Witnesses reported she left in a vehicle and was never seen or heard from again.
📌 Disappearance and Immediate Aftermath
Amber worked as a retail clerk in Portage la Prairie. When she failed to show up for her shift the next day, her employer contacted her mother. By Sunday, October 19, her father filed a missing person report. At that time, many hoped she would soon be located, as most adult missing persons cases in Canada are resolved quickly. Sadly, Amber’s case would become an exception.
Search efforts were launched almost immediately. On October 24, 2008, over 160 volunteers began scouring areas east of the Assiniboine River diversion with the assistance of K-9 units and helicopters. The following days saw hundreds more volunteers, quads, horses, and rescue boats searching fields, ponds, and waterways. On November 1, nearly 1,500 volunteers participated—the largest search in Manitoba history. Despite the massive scale of the operation, no trace of Amber was ever found.
📌 Last Known Movements
Earlier that day, Amber had returned from work-related training in Winnipeg. That evening, she visited several establishments with friends, including Smitty’s lounge, the Canad Inns, and ultimately the Cat & Fiddle Night Club at the Midtown Motor Inn. Amber was not driving that night—her car was later found parked outside the Canad Inns where she had left it.
At the club, witnesses said Amber was seen with her ex-boyfriend, Kelly Garrioch, despite having a no-contact order against him following an alleged assault five months earlier. She was scheduled to testify against him in November. Surveillance video later confirmed that Amber left the beer vendor attached to the Midtown Motor Inn shortly after 1 a.m. with Garrioch and another man, Graham Saxon. These are the last known images of her alive.
📌 Investigation and Homicide Declaration
By June 2009, RCMP announced that Amber’s case was now being investigated as a homicide. That same day, forensic teams searched Garrioch’s former home on Yellowquill Trail for more than 10 hours, digging in the backyard. This was the second search of the property, as Garrioch had sold the home shortly after Amber’s disappearance.
In July 2009, both Garrioch and Saxon were arrested and questioned but released without charges. Saxon maintained he had dropped Amber and Kelly at Kelly’s home before going home himself, adding that he had passed a polygraph test. Kelly’s account was similar, though he claimed Amber later phoned someone to pick her up. RCMP obtained her phone records, but no one has ever come forward to confirm such a call.
📌 Family and Community Response
Amber’s family and community organized repeated search efforts and vigils. Her family offered a $20,000 reward for information. Her disappearance and presumed death deeply affected Portage la Prairie, with volunteers from across Manitoba rallying to search for her.
Every year, Amber’s loved ones continue to mark the anniversary of her disappearance. Her family, particularly her mother and father, have spoken about the ongoing pain of not knowing what happened. RCMP have also repeatedly renewed their calls for information, emphasizing that even small details could be the key to solving this case.
📌 Description
- Age at disappearance: 24 years old
- Gender: Female
- Height: 5’8” (172 cm)
- Weight: 136 lbs (61.5 kg)
- Hair: Blonde
- Eyes: Green
- Distinguishing marks: None
- Clothing last seen wearing: Black sweater, blue jeans, metallic-coloured flats
- Vehicle: Toyota Tercel, found abandoned at Canad Inns parking lot
📞 How to Help
If you have any information about the disappearance or homicide of Amber Lynn McFarland, please call the RCMP Major Crime Services Special Project Team Tip Line at 1-888-673-3316 or the Portage RCMP at (204) 857-4445. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
🔗 Sources
- CBC News – RCMP Want Help in Amber McFarland Homicide Case
- MissingKids.ca – Amber McFarland
- MissingKids Alert – Amber McFarland
- The Graphic Leader – The Disappearance of Amber McFarland
👉 What You Can Do
Please share Amber’s story widely to help keep attention on her case. Even the smallest piece of information could make a difference and bring closure to her family.
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