June 9 marks the one-year anniversary of the unsolved murder of 14-year old Heather Mallett of Wabowden.

An autopsy conducted in Winnipeg last June positively identified a body found in Wabowden June 9 as being that of 14-year-old Heather Mallett of Wabowden, who had disappeared earlier the same day. The RCMP have not released the cause of her death.

Mallett was reported missing to the RCMP early on June 9, 2011 after she had not returned home. RCMP issued an appeal for public assistance to locate Mallett after she was reported missing by a family member earlier that day. Mallett was last seen at about 10 p.m. June 8, 2011 and did not return home that night. She was 5'8", 135 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. RCMP said she was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white tank top underneath a grey/black plaid shirt..

Residents of Wabowden will gather in Mallet’s honour on June 9, as a grave site and memorial site are both dedicated to Heather’s memory.

The community raised $10,000 in support of the two projects through hamper raffles, bingo nights, a coffee house and donations. The money raised will go towards the purchase of a headstone for the gravesite as well as a grave cover.

Diana DeLaronde-Colombe is co-ordinating the day’s events and says that the entire community has come together leading up to this date.

“We’ve put up signs and Crime Stoppers posters,” said Diana, “Cindy Jonasson has been taking care of the landscaping at the memorial site and setting up picnic tables and flowers.”

The memorial site will be an area for members of the community to come and share in the memory of Heather.

The generosity of the community has been outstanding, with the combination of fundraisers and donations; the winner of the hamper raffle donated the money back to Mallett’s grandparents.

“He works at the mine site, and now lives in Winnipeg,” said Diana, “the grandmother still opens her heart and home to look after others, and the donation is going to help many more people.”

Mallett’s grandparents cook for and look after people in town who don’t have homes.

“It’s very big of them to still be able to think of others with everything that they’ve gone through themselves,” said DeLaronde-Colombe.

The gravesite ceremony will be at 2:30 p.m. and the memorial will be unveiled at 3:30 p.m. followed by a community barbecue.