Rob Joly hopes he doesn’t go to his grave without finding what happened to his son, Luke.
The father of Luke Joly-Durocher spoke to The Nugget on the eve of the 10th anniversary of his son’s disappearance.
“These aren’t the milestones you want to reach,” he said.
“I remember North Bay police Det. Const. Paul Brewer, who was in charge of my son’s case at the time, telling me we’re in this for the long haul. I thought there’s no way this will not be solved within five years and yet here we are 10 years later.”
Joly said he was confident police would find his missing son within a week of his disappearance.
No arrests have been made and Joly-Durocher, who was 20 years old at the time of his disappearance, still hasn’t been located.
“It’s been 10 years and so much has happened. My dad died in 2015 and my 57-year-old sister died in 2013. Death is easier to accept than to deal with what I’m dealing with today. I can talk to them, I know where they are and I can go and visit their grave.”
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Joly said although he puts on a strong, brave face, his hope is “fading.”
“Hope is fading. It’s fading for me,” he said. “I never wanted to believe that he wouldn’t come back, but as time passes reality sinks in.”
But no matter how much time passes the love and bond he had with his son will never fade.
“I hope I don’t go to my grave not knowing what happened to Luke. That love and bond will never go away.”
While the 10th anniversary is a painful one, Joly says he has many things to look forward to.
“My daughter, Luke’s sister, is expecting. I can’t help but think how great of an uncle he would have been. He would be teaching his niece how to play the PS4 and play hockey. That’s when I miss him the most,” he said.
“There’s birthdays, Christmases, but the reality sinks in as time continues to pass.”
Joly said his message on this 10th anniversary is to those who know what happened to his son.
He begs them to pick up the phone and do the right thing.
“There’s still forgiveness in my heart for any individual who knows what happened to Luke,” Joly said.
“Over the years I’ve become compassionate for life. If someone would come forward and admit they would stop putting us through this hell. I could never forget but I could forgive.”
The last confirmed sighting of Joly-Durocher occurred sometime after he was refused entry from a downtown bar.
Joly-Durocher, from Temiscaming, Que., was in North Bay visiting friends. They had consumed alcohol at a Sherbrooke Street residence and went to a bar downtown.
Joly-Durocher was refused entry, and was caught on video leaving the location.
His jacket, cellphone and glasses were all found back at the Sherbrooke Street apartment. He was reported missing March 7 by family members.
Years later, police released new information that indicated Joly-Durocher attended Shooter’s Bar at the Voyager Inn off Algonquin Avenue later that night.
https://www.nugget.ca/news/anniversary-not-the-milestones-you-want-to-reach
