More than two decades after her body was found at the side of a road, the RCMP has agreed to apologize to an Indigenous woman’s family for failing to properly investigate her death.

The apology follows a probe by the Mounties’ watchdog body — the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) — which pointed to gaps in two separate investigations into the woman’s disappearance.

The CRCC, an independent agency that handles complaints about RCMP members’ conduct, said the investigations were unreasonable and the officers’ conclusion that there was no evidence of foul play was premature.

“Any death is tragic, but a death replete with unanswered questions is undoubtedly even more painful,” wrote CRCC chair Michelaine Lahaie in her final report, obtained by CBC News through an access to information report

“A more thorough investigation may have been able to answer some or most of these questions.”