Police identify Boston Bar homicide victim

Homicide detectives have identified the woman whose body was found north of Boston Bar last month as 28-year-old Amelie Christelle Sakkalis.

Police say Sakkalis was a Belgian tourist travelling through Canada. Her body was found Aug. 22 at around 7:25 p.m. near Highway 1.

Investigators believe she was hitchhiking from the Penticton area and heading to Vancouver. They are asking drivers and travellers who may have either given Sakkalis a ride, spotted her getting into a vehicle or passed by her at a rest stop to call investigators.

Travellers are also asked to review dash camera footage in case they happened to record footage of Sakkalis, who spoke French, somewhere along the route.

“We are hoping that people along that route from Penticton to the area of Boston Bar, where Amelie was found, we’re hoping that people travelling along that route recognize that van or recognize Amelie,” said Cpl. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

“We definitely need to speak with anyone that perhaps picked up Amelie along the road or from anywhere in between.”

Jang said a man was arrested in connection to the homicide, but was later released from custody. He said that no criminal charges have been recommended and that the investigation continues.