While Rhonda Cardinal endured 16 days alone in the wilderness, her family back home had to endure rumors and gossip in order to continue the search and keep hope alive.
When Cardinal returned home Aug. 15, she was very happy, as was her family. But her happiness was dimmed somewhat when she learned of the rumors that had spread in her absence.
While Rhonda was surviving on berries, her husband Andrew was the victim of nasty rumors that he may have done something terrible to his beloved wife. This was hard for Andrew to deal with while searching for his loved one.
“When I met up with the RCMP near the cabin, I wanted to tell them all the things I found out and where I had seen some of Rhonda’s footprints, but all of a sudden they asked me if I murdered her because they heard rumors,” said an emotional Andrew.
“I was under investigation because they thought foul play was involved. I didn’t know what to think at that point and I was in shock that someone could think I would do that. I never thought of ‘murder’ and how serious the word is until someone accused me of it.”
Andrew said he tried to show the police where he saw the footprints but they only wanted to stay where the abandoned quad was because they suspected foul play and wouldn’t look anywhere else right away.
It wasn’t just Andrew who was investigated either. He said that his friend Donald and his family members who tried to help with the search were also questioned because people thought they could have been trying to help cover up a grisly act.
“The rumors ruined the search for me because it separated her family and mine and we should have been looking together as one family to try to find her,” Andrew said as he wiped away a tear.
“When Rhonda was found, I told her where I thought she had been heading, and I was right. We should have been working together, but with all the rumors going on at that point, I had to stay away a bit because I always had to tell the RCMP where I was going or have a witness with me at all times. There were all kinds of allegations and I think it would be easier if they never happened because we could have been working together.”
Athabasca RCMP Sgt. Brian Scott, who was in charge of the investigation, said the police were following procedure and all possibilities during the investigation, like they would with any other case.
“We have to look at all aspects of the investigation when two people go into the bush and one comes out,” Scott said. “We have to go down all avenues and we did a huge ground and aerial search and came up with nothing.
“As part of the investigation and search efforts, we have to look at all players and all sources involved to investigate what people are telling us. This is the procedure we would take for any other investigation.
“It’s unfortunate what happened with her getting lost, but it’s very fortunate that she walked out alive. There is a huge number of things that could have happened to her that thankfully didn’t. The main thing is that she is alive and well and we are very thankful for that.”
Although he knows that the police were just doing their jobs and following every lead that presented itself, Andrew said it still hurt hearing what people were saying.
“I have been trying to keep a low profile because I want to forget what happened and what people were saying,” he said. “All kinds of stories and gossip was going around and I just didn’t want to hear any of it.
“The investigators have to go by everything that is said and told, but it wasn’t true and it hurts. It made it harder to search for her and harder emotionally.”
It was also heart wrenching for Rhonda to hear when she came home.
“When I came home there was apparently a lot of gossip and people were trying to say that my husband murdered me, and I really didn’t like that because he would never do anything like that because he is such a nice man,” Rhonda said.
“I was pretty sad when I heard what people had been saying. I think the people who started the rumors should come up to my husband and apologize because it’s a big thing to accuse someone of murder.”
“I think when people are vulnerable, stories are made up and people listen because nothing of hers had been found and people wanted closure,” added Andrew.
Following a similar train of thought, Andrew’s mother Louise said that when the rumors started circulating, she and her family didn’t want to be around the people she knew were spreading them, but now she wants to move on and get some closure of her own about the whole situation.
“I have no ill feelings towards those people who were spreading the rumors,” Louise said, “but I want them to know how much sickness they caused both of our families mentally, spiritually and physically, and they should know the damage they caused us. The people who started them never knew Rhonda or my son and created devastating rumors when people were vulnerable, but I am starting the process to try to forgive them.”
In the spirit of forgiveness and closure, Louise said both Rhonda’s family and her family are working to bring people together. The families are planning a reception gathering in September at the Calling Lake Community Hall to show their thanks for all those who helped in the search.
“There is so much that happened to help find (Rhonda) alive and we want to give and show our thanks by inviting all the people to the hall,” Andrew said. “I especially want to thank the Husky Oil worker and the Delta helicopter pilot because they really helped out so much by bringing her to the hospital.”
“The reception will be open to the public and all those who personally helped in the search and rescue will be invited to attend,” said Leonard Cardinal, Andrew’s uncle. “We want to acknowledge and thank all the people who made such an effort to help find Rhonda safe and sound.”
