🚨 MISSING WOMAN IN FORT FRANCES, ONTARIO – MELANIE LAPISH, 35 – LAST SEEN FEBRUARY 26, 2024
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) continue to investigate the disappearance of 35-year-old Melanie Lapish of Fort Frances, Ontario. Melanie was last seen on February 26, 2024, around 9 p.m., after being dropped off at the McDonald’s on Kings Highway to meet someone for a ride. She has not been seen or heard from since.
Melanie was reported missing on March 9, 2024, to the Rainy River District OPP. Her disappearance is being treated as criminally suspicious, and the investigation remains active under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. In 2025, the Ontario government announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.
Lapish is described as 5’9” tall, approximately 110 lbs, with a slender build, blue-green eyes, and long dirty blonde hair. She has a nose piercing and a black-and-white tribal butterfly tattoo on her lower back, approximately four inches wide. She was last seen wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans, and a toque.
📌 DESCRIPTION
- Age: 35
- Height: 5’9” (175 cm)
- Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg)
- Hair: Blonde / Dirty blonde
- Eyes: Blue-green
- Build: Slender / Thin
- Tattoo: Tribal butterfly design, lower back
- Piercings: Nose and abdomen
- Last Seen: February 26, 2024 – Fort Frances, Ontario
The OPP investigation has included multiple specialized units, including the North West Region Emergency Response Team, Forensic Identification Services, OPP Canine Unit, and the North West Region Crime Unit. Officers have conducted ground searches, interviews, and forensic analyses but have not yet located Melanie.
Melanie worked as a server at Boston Pizza in Fort Frances and had recently moved there after living in Sault Ste. Marie. Her family describes her as an outgoing, happy-go-lucky woman and a devoted mother to her young son. “She loved doing stuff with her son — that was her number one,” said her mother, Colleen Rogers. “She had the brightest smile and was always on the go.”
Family members in Sault Ste. Marie continue to hold on to hope. Her brother Darren Vlassoff says the ordeal has been heartbreaking: “We’re still praying. Some days are harder than others, but we’re not giving up.” He said the support from the community, including his Sault Steelers football team, has helped the family continue spreading awareness.
On the one-year anniversary of her disappearance, Melanie’s family organized a community walk in Fort Frances to honour her memory and encourage new tips. “Any little thing might be the key to solving this,” said her mother. “We just want answers.”
📞 HOW TO HELP
Anyone with information about Melanie Lapish’s disappearance is asked to contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122.
Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit information online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
🔗 SOURCES
- RCMP Missing Persons Database
- CBC News – $50,000 Reward Announced
- NWO News Watch – Family Remaining Hopeful
- SooToday – Family Praying for Her Safe Return
👉 WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please share this post to help keep awareness alive for Melanie’s case. Every share increases visibility and supports the ongoing investigation.
Visit CanadaMissing.ca for more unsolved and active missing person investigations across Canada.
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