Friends and family of Sherri Lynn Flett gathered outside the Fort McMurray Provincial Court on Monday seeking justice.

On Jan. 26 Timothy Andrew McDougall of Fort McMurray was charged with second degree murder of Flett.

Cousin and good friend of Flett, Lori Cyprien commented that they want the accused to see them there and they want to fight for justice for Sherri. “She’s not just another statistic for missing and murdered Indigenous women, we want justice for her,” said Cyprien.

She says that they are there for the long haul and that they will continue to fight.

Eight other women, girls, and two-spirit people of been reported missing in Fort McMurray and the Wood Buffalo area since 2004.

“Unfortunately, in the region there are still many Indigenous women that have still not been found, so it’s fortunate that we were able to find Sherri and we were able to put her to rest properly and say our final goodbyes.”

Cyprien expressed the need for more funding from the government to help find missing and murdered Indigenous women. “They don’t take it serious enough. They need to start looking right away for people.”

Cyprien says that this was only the first of many rally’s and that they’re not going to stop.