Coyotes Kill Toronto Singer

Taylor Josephine Stephanie Luciow, who performed under the name “Taylor Mitchell,” was hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park Tuesday when she was attacked, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Mitchell was first taken to a hospital in Cheticamp, then airlifted to the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax where she died overnight.

According to park officials, Mitchell was hiking alone at the time. Park officials say other hikers scared off the animals and called 911.

The singer, who had recently received a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination, was touring the Maritime provinces when she decided to hike the park’s Skyline Trail.

So far, two coyotes have been shot since Taylor’s attack. An RCMP officer shot one coyote but could not find the body, while park staffers shot and killed another. Officials do not know if either coyote was involved in the attack. It’s estimated that there are five or six coyotes in the area.

“Words can’t begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman,” Mitchell’s manager Lisa Weitz said in an e-mail, according to the London Free Press. “She just turned 19 two months ago, and was so excited about the future, her recent Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination and debut east coast tour.”

Click here to read the complete CBC report.

Click here to read the London Free Press account.