3 years after death, Thunder Bay, Ont., homicide victim's family members appeal to police, public

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 04, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 6

Colleen Belesky describes her precocious son, Corey Belesky, arsenic a beardown and handsome young antheral who loved animals and cared profoundly astir his family.

“Not lone [did helium die] that day, but I besides died,” Colleen Belesky told a quality league successful the northwestern Ontario metropolis connected Monday. “My beingness ended erstwhile Corey's beingness ended.”

The 31-year-old was a subordinate of Marten Falls First Nation, a distant Ojibway assemblage much than 400 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. 

In honour of the 3rd day of his death, his household and First Nation are appealing to the nationalist for accusation and calling connected the TBPS to allocate much resources to the case.

Surrounded by relatives holding photos of Corey and a representation of the north-end neighbourhood wherever his assemblage was found, Colleen Belesky spoke astir her lad done tears.

Anyone with accusation astir Corey Belesky's decease is asked to interaction constabulary oregon Crime Stoppers. (Sarah Law/CBC)

“We, Corey's family, are asking anyone with accusation — with immoderate benignant of accusation — to delight travel forward,” she said. “We request justice.”

Corey Belesky’s household is down 1 of respective complaints received by Ontario’s inspector wide of policing successful April 2024 astir the mode the TBPS handles decease and missing-person investigations.

That October, Ryan Teschner announced helium would behaviour an valuation of the constabulary work successful response.

In an emailed connection to CBC News connected Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Inspectorate of Policing said that “the Inspector General of Policing volition supply a nationalist update connected the ongoing inspection of the Thunder Bay Police Service and Board” successful the coming weeks.

“The update volition outline the extended enactment completed to day and the anticipated timeline for the report's release,” it says.

Anna Betty Achneepineskum is simply a lawman expansive main with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a governmental territorial enactment that represents 49 First Nations crossed Treaties 9 and 5, including Marten Falls.

During Monday’s quality conference, she said NAN is eagerly awaiting Teschner’s report, “not lone for Corey's family, but [for] the different First Nation families that person endured immoderate injustices erstwhile it comes to investigations.”

Calls for reward, much communication

Corey Belesky’s household said they are not satisfied with the connection they person received from the TBPS. 

“They conscionable privation astatine slightest to perceive from the Thunder Bay constabulary erstwhile a month, adjacent if it's to accidental ‘we're inactive moving connected it astatine this time, we don't person immoderate leads,’” Anna Betty Achneepineskum said.

Anna Betty Achneepineskum, a lawman expansive main with Nishnawbe Aski Nation, says it's important for members of the nationalist to travel guardant with accusation due to the fact that the Belesky household deserves closure. (Sarah Law/CBC)

The household is besides calling connected the Thunder Bay Police Service Board to o.k. a reward for immoderate tips that whitethorn pb to an apprehension successful the investigation.

While an nonstop magnitude has not been shared, Anna Betty Achnkeepineskum said it should beryllium “substantial,” fixed the magnitude of clip that has passed since his death.

CBC News reached retired to the TBPS astir the family’s calls for enactment and received an emailed connection connected Monday.

“The Thunder Bay Police Service expresses ongoing sympathy to the household and loved ones of Corey Belesky and confirms its dedication to the probe into his tragic passing,” it says.

While the household said they haven’t heard from constabulary since July, the TBPS connection said “our investigators volition proceed to supply monthly updates connected immoderate developments arsenic per the family’s wishes.”

Bruce Achneepineskum, main of Marten Falls First Nation, said it’s important for the nationalist to supply immoderate accusation they whitethorn person astir Belesky’s death.

“It's a precise bittersweet concern that the household has endured and it's been a precise agelong 3 years for them to find that closure." 

Police are asking members of the nationalist to interaction investigators astatine 807-684-1200 oregon taxable tips anonymously done Crime Stoppers astatine 1-800-222-8477 oregon online astatine www.p3tips.com.

“Corey was recovered connected a nationalist thoroughfare successful a residential country successful this city,” Anna Betty Achneepineskum said. “Someone has to cognize something.”

Support is disposable for anyone affected by the contented of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate affectional assistance and situation enactment is disposable 24/7 done a nationalist hotline astatine 1-844-413-6649.