I can’t help thinking that low level, aerial photography from drones then simple terrain analysis of what is captured in the video will find the alleged killers in northern Manitoba.  Even if they’re dead, as I can hardly imagine them otherwise in terrain like that.

I’ve worked in that kind of terrain here and overseas and it’s unforgiving.  Load heat-sensing gear on the drones and it’s a no-brainer finding them if the photography is  flown properly.

Terrain analysis involves identifying features on the ground and considering how they relate to your interests.

Aerial photography using drones and terrain analysis is well developed in civil engineering.  I know the police forces have picked up on the technology and learned well and are using it to good advantage in Manitoba.

I’ve used drone video on several forensic investigations including two kilometre-long sites, one covered by forest.  You can pick out a tennis ball with a drone flying at tree top level in that terrain – a few 10s of feet up.  A white face or hand would show quite nicely against the green forest floor.  I can imagine a pattern of foot prints across muskeg would show nicely too.

You can fly a drone across a couple of kilometres of terrain in minutes, study the video, analyse the terrain, stop and start the video every few seconds, take frame grabs, take out a magnifying glass and look closer still, etc., etc.

I flew the forested area in a recent case with people on the ground and got reams of data and evidence – not unlike what is possible in Manitoba and likely what is being done right now.

In a hunt like this, you track back and forth on a grid over the area of interest taking aerial photography as you go.  You can cover hundreds of kilometres of terrain with drone-mounted video cameras in the few days the searchers have been there.

I can’t help but think, if the alleged killers are still there, dead or alive, they would be found.  I don’t think they are else they would have been found by now with the aerial surveillance.  It may be time to move on to another hot-tip search area..