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TuesdayNovember11201419JUSTICEMISSINGPERSONSByMEAGANWOHLBERGItwasnottheresolutionconcernedYellow-kniferswerelookingforintheirsearchforamissingJapanesetouristbutRCMPofferedsomeclosurelastweekwiththeannounce-mentthatAtsumiYoshikubohadplannedtogomissingandisbeingpresumeddead.RCMPinvestigationhasdeterminedthatAtsumiYoshikuboarrivedinYellowknifewithaplantogointothewildernessaloneandbecomeamissingpersonreadstheofcialstatementfromRCMPsentoutlastTuesdaymorning.InvestigationalsorevealedthatYoshikubotookstepstoavoidbeingfound.YoshikuboisnowbeingpresumeddeadandRCMPsaythereisnoevidenceoffoulplay.RCMPmedialiaisonElenoreSturkosaidshecouldnotgivedetailsoftheevidencebackingthoseassertionsbutsaidtheyarefact-basedandemergedduringtheinvestigation.Peoplearelookingforclosuresheacknowl-edged.ItsnotaverygoodupdatewhentheresstillmorequestionsthatarentansweredbutunfortunatelyIcantspeaktotheevidence.Itsstillanongoinginvestigationtheleisremain-ingopenandassuchImnotabletodiscusswhatevidencehasledustothisdetermination.LastweektwoJapanesemediaoutletsre-portedthatYoshikubohadwrittenasuicidenoteandleftitwithafriendbeforesheleftJapanthoughherbrotherquestionswhyshewouldhavepurchasedsouvenirsandareturnticketifshehadintendedtodie.DozensofYellowknifershelpedintheinten-sivesearchforYoshikuboaftershewasreportedmissingonOct.27whenshefailedtocheckoutofherhotelwithmanyheadingoutontothetrailsnorthofthecityevenatnighttolookforher.Policeemployedtheuseofinfraredtech-nologyintheairsearchaswellasdogsontheground.The45year-oldJapanesedoctorwaslastseenonOct.22walkingalongHighway4towardtheJackshLakeareaofYellowknife.ShewassupposedtoybacktoJapanonOct.26butmissedheright.Sturkoemphasizedherappreciationforthelocalvolunteerswhocommittedtheirtimetotryingtolocatethewomanalongwiththequickmediaresponse.Theinvestigationisnowunderthepur-viewoftheOfceoftheChiefCoroneroftheNorthwestTerritories.RCMPintendtofollowuponallleadswiththehopesoflocatingYoshikubosremainsandaskthatallwildernesstravelersreportanyinforma-tiontheybelievecouldbehelpfulinlocatingYoshikubo.RCMPcontinuetoworkwiththeJapaneseconsulateonthematter.JapanesetouristplannedtogomissingpresumeddeadPhotocourtesyRCMPSecuritycamerafootageshowsJapanesetouristAtsumiYoshikubopurchasingsouvenirsonthelastdayshewasseeninYellowknifeOct.22.