The death of Curtis Sagmoen has not brought closure for families and friends of several local missing women.
The 44-year-old North Okanagan-Shuswap man with a history of violence against women in the sex trade, was found dead in a Vernon motel on Thursday, April 10. Following the death, police notified the family of Traci Genereaux, a young woman who went missing in May 2017. In October of that year, police found her remains on property owned by the Sagmoen family where Curtis was living. He was not charged in relation to the death or the found remains.
Sagmoen was convicted of crimes of threats and violence against women, including an assault in August 2017 of a sex worker by using an ATV at the property. Sagmoen, born in 1980, was not in prison at the time of his death. He was scheduled to appear in Salmon Arm Court July 2025 for a breach of probation order from November 2024. His last appearance on the matter was Jan. 21, 2025.
The news of Sagmoen's death left Genereaux's grandmother, Darcy Martin, with mixed emotions. While "happy he can't hurt anyone else, you're never going to know completely what happened," she told simplymastery.
This sentiment is shared by others, including the family and friends of Nicole Bell, a mother of three who went missing from Malakwa on Sept. 2, 2017.
On Thursday, May 1, a friend of the family, Nichole Fleming, was given permission to share publicly that police suspected Curtis Sagmoen in Bell's disappearance.
Bell's mother Jane Aubertin confirmed this with the Observer, stating "He was a suspect."
Fleming said Sagmoen's death has brought no closure.
"I know a lot of people are like, 'good he’s dead' – stuff like that, and I keep reiterating this, there is no closure for the families…," said Fleming, who has been part of ongoing search efforts in the region where several women including Bell, Caitlin Potts of Enderby, and Yankee Flats resident Deanna Wertz went missing in 2016. Flemming also assisted in the search for Ashley Simpson, who also went missing in 2016.
Simpson's remains were found at a location between Salmon Arm and Sicamous in November 2021, and last year her former boyfriend, Derek Lee Mathew Favell, was sentenced for her murder to life in prison with no chance for parole in 12 years.
By finding Bell and the other missing women, Fleming is hopeful authorities will find new evidence.
"With this information I’m hoping that all community’s will join the family in future searches and rallies!" said Fleming. "We just want to remind everyone when searches or rallies are held we will search and stand for all the missing people."
Fleming said another search effort will be taking place this summer.
With files from the Vernon Morning Star.
