Mauling victim's disappearance not reported to Mounties for 3 days

RCMPweren't notified for roughly three days about the disappearance of Teresa Cassandra Robinson, 11, who was found mauled and killedby an animal on Manitoba's Garden Hill First Nationthis week, says ManitobaKeewatinowiOkimakanak Grand Chief David Harper.

Robinson, who had been missing for almost a week before her body was found, was killed by anunknown animal,saidChiefArnoldFlettof Garden Hill, which is about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.People in the community suspect it was a bear.

Harper said theRCMP expect to know withinabout 48 hours what type of animal mauled the girl. Forensics officersare at the scene, he added.

Harper and some of Robinson's relatives, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins,boarded a flight from Winnipeg to Garden Hill on Tuesday morning.

The family members said shewas a "brave girl" who would have turned 12 on Thursday.They added thatRobinson, the youngest of five children, was very close to her father.

"This is like so hard. She was a brave girl,"saidChantelleLittle, Robinson's cousin."We are actually going to Garden Hill to find out more about what happened."

Harpersaid Robinsonwas last seen leaving a birthday party in the community at around 9 p.m. on May 5.A search was launched May 7, but RCMPweren't contacted until May 8, he said.

Searchers from the community found her body on Monday, he said.

"Everybody's taking it really hard," said Harper. "The horrific scene that they [saw] is something that will stay with them. We'll do what we can to help however ease the ongoing investigation and also the community itself."

RCMPwouldonly confirm they are investigating the death of a girlon the reserve.