The RCMP on Thursday doubled the list of women who have gone missing on a notorious British Columbia road known as the "Highway of Tears."

Until now police believed nine young women died or went missing along Highway 16, a road which stretches from Prince Rupert to Prince George.

But police now believe the number is actually 18.

The first name on the list is Gloria Moody. Moody was killed in Williams Lake in 1969. Over the next four decades, police say there have been 17 other victims on the highway.

The crimes have left residents who travel and live in towns along the highway fearing for their safety.

One resident told CTV News in Vancouver that "It's very frightening that a predator could be out there for that length of time preying on these women without anyone standing in the way."

There has long been fear and suspicion that a serial killer is behind the murders and missing women.

RCMP Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre doesn't believe one person killed all of these women. But he said police are open to "any, any possibility."

All of the victims were young and many of them were Aboriginal. Some were hitchhiking along the highway. Travellers along the highway say they're afraid to pick up any hitchhikers, no matter how young. They say they're torn between wanting to keep hitchhikers safe and their own safety because they don't know who may be wanting a ride.

The investigation has long been criticized. Protests have been held accusing police of not doing enough, and aboriginal groups have complained more young women have gone missing on Highway 16 then investigators were admitting.

Police say they weren't pressured to change the list because of criticism from the community. They note that the new names were added after more than 200 files were reviewed.

Police will not reveal if they have any suspects. They have said they are not releasing all of the information that they have.

"There are things we know that we don't want the the persons or person responsible to know. I can tell you we know a lot more than we did a year ago," said Lemaitre.

But 38 years after Moody's body was found they have made no arrest.