A massive cross-border search ended in heartbreak Friday when Diane Cooper was found deceased near Kindersley, Sask. Her dog, Halo, survived.
A 12-day search spanning two provinces ended in tragedy Friday evening when Consort RCMP confirmed Diane Cooper had been found dead near Kindersley, Sask.
RCMP located Cooper in the Rural Municipality of Grandview at approximately 7:40 p.m. on April 18. Her death is not considered suspicious.
Her Dalmatian, Halo, was found safe at the same location.
“RCMP sends condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Cooper,” Cpl. Gina Slaney, public information officer with Alberta RCMP, said in a statement Saturday.
The search begins
Cooper was reported missing to Consort RCMP on the night of April 6 after she failed to arrive at her destination. She had left Calgary that afternoon, around 3:30 p.m.
An AirTag ping placed her vehicle near Highway 12 outside Veteran, Alta., that evening. RCMP patrols in the area found nothing.
By the next morning, her phone and AirTag had gone silent. But data history painted a partial picture: her key fob had pinged near Stettler around 5:30 p.m. the day before. Surveillance footage later showed her fuelling her vehicle – a grey Toyota C-HR XLE with Alberta licence plate LVA978 – with Halo in the back seat.
The trail goes cold
On April 8, both Alberta and Saskatchewan RCMP issued public appeals. Tips poured in over the following days. None led anywhere.
Air services flew multiple searches over Alberta and Saskatchewan. Helicopters covered the area around Consort and Monitor. Saskatchewan RCMP extended flights along Highway 7 and through communities including Compeer, Major, Marengo and Hoosier. All returned negative results.
A witness in Stettler later told police they had given Cooper directions toward Calgary on April 6 – but watched her drive east instead.
A final confirmed sighting
A breakthrough came April 13, when a business near Hoosier, Sask., shared surveillance footage showing a vehicle matching Cooper’s description on its property at 10:55 p.m. on April 6.
Closer review two days later confirmed the footage showed Cooper behind the wheel, with Halo visible in the back. She was last seen on camera near Hoosier around 11 p.m. on April 6.
That placed her well into Saskatchewan – consistent with what investigators had suspected for days.
By April 15, Saskatchewan RCMP Search and Rescue, Marshall Services, surveillance teams and Traffic Services had all been brought into the investigation.
Found, but not in time
On Friday evening, RCMP located Cooper in the RM of Grandview, not far from Kindersley. The search was over, but not the way anyone had hoped.
Halo was found with her, alive and safe.
RCMP have not released further details about the circumstances of her death. The investigation remains open but is not treated as criminal.
Cooper’s family has been notified.
Read more: Lloydminster RCMP crime team seizes guns, meth and cocaine
