RCMP in Manitoba say girl dead after dad woke to find door open and daughter gone
Posted May 17, 2026 7:53 am.
Last Updated May 18, 2026 3:16 pm.
A young girl in Manitoba has been found dead after she was reported missing early Saturday.
RCMP in Poplar River say in a news release that the six-year-old’s father woke up and noticed the front door was wide open, and the girl was gone.
“ I just want her home. I don’t want to bury her six-feet under,” said Michelle Hudson, mother of Veronica Hudson.
A search by police, the fire department, family and other community members began immediately, the release says.
Boats were also launched in the water, and the First Nation deployed its drone.
A few hours after she was reported missing, the girl was located dead on the south side of the Nanowin River.
“I was in disbelief. I just didn’t want to believe it. Cause that’s my girl. She’s so full of life. Life cut too short,” said Hudson.
Hudson was in Winnipeg receiving treatment for epilepsy at the time of her daughter’s disappearance and remains in the city while an autopsy is conducted.
“I should have just stayed home,” said Hudson.
Hudson said Veronica had a non-verbal form of autism. She believes her son, who is also autistic, may have unlatched the family’s front door early Saturday morning and left it open while the family was asleep.
According to Hudson, Veronica was fascinated by water. With a river nearby, she believes her daughter wandered outside during the night and drowned.
“I just want my baby back. She was a very bright happy child. I slept with my baby all the time. My beds gonna feel empty,” said Hudson.
Hudson described her daughter as someone who loved flowers, dancing and singing along to cartoon soundtracks.
“I woke up crying, it’s even hard for me to eat. I don’t think things are gonna be the same without her,” said Hudson.
RCMP continue to investigate.
