Xavia Skye Lynn Butler: Manitoba Interlake community reflects on infant’s death after RCMP identify remains

GYPSUMVILLE, MB –

A community in Manitoba’s Interlake region is still in shock after RCMP identified the remains of a baby girl on Friday.

In June, human remains were found on a property off Highway 6 in the RM of Grahamdale. Nearly five months later, the remains were identified as Xavia Skye Lynn Butler, who police said was between one and two years old at the time of her death.

RCMP said her remains were found in a barn on the property.

The barn where Xavia was found was painted a few weeks later, owner Natascha Kitschur said in an interview with CTV News Saturday.

“It’s close to home,” Kitschur said. “This is my backyard, this is my children’s backyard. I have two children and I can’t imagine that one of them would not be here today.

Kitschur said her husband’s family purchased the barn and surrounding land from Xavia’s grandfather, Henry Rawluk, decades ago. She confirmed that Rawluk still lives in the house on the neighboring property.

In June, human remains were found on a property off Highway 6 in the RM of Grahamdale. (CTV News Winnipeg)

“I would say about two weeks after everything became clear that the remains were found in our barn, we held a vigil,” Kitschur recalled. She said that after the vigil, Xavia’s uncle approached her and her husband and asked them to do something with the barn to honor his niece.

“We decided to paint the barn orange in light of all the missing and murdered indigenous children around the world,” Kitschur said, adding that the words “Every Child Matters” were painted on the roof.

As a tribute, the barn where Xavia Butler’s remains were found was painted orange. (Aleksandra Holyk/CTV News Winnipeg)

Xavia was a member of the Pinaymootang First Nation, located several kilometers south of where her remains were found.

Even though her remains were found in June, Kitschur said the community continues to mourn.

“The community definitely feels it,” she said. “The Pinaymootang First Nation and all its community members also feel the loss.

“We are on our knees wondering how such a beautiful soul could just leave, how someone who couldn’t fight for herself was taken too soon,” Kitschur said.

Xavia Skye Lynn Butler in an undated photo (Natalie Anderson)

Others say they still can’t believe what happened.

“It was shocking,” said one neighbor. “You would never think something like this could happen.”

RCMP continue to investigate and are seeking the public’s help in establishing a timeline for Xavia through March 2022. Anyone with information or photos is asked to contact RCMP Major Crime Services.

– With files from CTV’s Devon McKendrick and Charles Lefebvre