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Abbotsford woman killed in Mission in 2017 died of stab wound, says coroner

Body of Chelsey Gauthier, 22, was found in ‘shallow grave’ in isolated area
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Chelsey Gauthier of Abbotsford was killed in July 2017 in Mission. A newly released coroner’s report lists her cause of death as a stab wound to her torso. (Facebook photo)

A young Abbotsford woman whose remains were found in Mission in 2017 died from a stab wound to her torso, according to a report from the BC Coroners Service.

The report, completed Oct. 11, 2022 and released this week, indicates that the body of Chelsey Gauthier was located in a shallow grave in an “isolated wooded area.”

“The location and circumstances in which her body was found, and the subsequent investigation, support the finding that Chelsey Gauthier died as the result of the intentional actions of another person,” states the report completed by coroner Lori Loen.

RELATED: Man, 67, charged with 2017 murder of Abbotsford woman in Mission

Gary David Losch, 67, was charged last September with second-degree murder and interference with a dead body in relation to Gauthier’s killing. The case is continuing to make its way through the courts.

Gauthier, 22, was reported missing on July 30, 2017. Police at the time said she had last been seen at the McDonald’s restaurant at Bourquin Crescent West and South Fraser Way in Abbotsford on July 27.

The coroner’s report states that she was last known to be alive in the evening hours of July 27, 2017 near the area where her body was recovered.

Police reported that her body had been found Aug. 16, 2017 in an isolated area of Mission near Sylvester Road and Dale Road. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team reported at that time that her death was “consistent with homicide.”

Gauthier was the mom of two daughters, who were ages 3 and 2 when she was killed.

RELATED: Chelsey Gauthier had ‘very big heart,’ say family and friends



vikki.hopes@abbynews.com

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Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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