Temiskaming OPP say the missing person’s case of 15-year-old Melanie Ethier is unique in that she seemed to “vanish without a trace.”
Ethier left a friend’s residence in New Liskeard to walk home less than a kilometre away at approximately 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 1996 and she was never seen or heard from again.
The community rallied to find the teenager then, and still does all these years later, as her mother doesn’t give up hope that some day a tip will come through that leads her to her daughter, Celine Ethier told the Parry Sound North Star in July 2017.
“The investigation remains active and is ongoing,” Const. Jennifer Smith writes in a press release issued Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018.
Missing my Christmas baby / 22 years without a trace / keeping the Faith keeping Hope,” wrote Ethier Dec. 20 on the social media page dedicated to finding her daughter. “I choose to believe that the persons who knows what happened to my 15-year-old daughter will come forward. Please send me a private message if your tip could help me locate my child, or call the OPP or Crime Stoppers. God Bless.”
“The investigation remains active and is ongoing,” Const. Jennifer Smith writes in a press release issued Thursday, Dec. 20.
The status of the investigation will remain open until the OPP determine the whereabouts of Ethier or can positively determine what has happened to her.
“This case is unique as Melanie seemed to vanish without a trace, however we still believe someone out there has the information that we are seeking in order to solve this case,” Smith continues.
They are hopeful that members of the public will continue to contact the OPP with new tips and information that will assist the investigation and state that no matter what information is provided, it will be closely examined.
“The OPP prides itself on investigative excellence and has a long-standing tradition of conducting thorough and detailed investigations and that is certainly the case with the disappearance of Melanie Ethier. This case is particularly challenging as it is difficult to find answers to a person’s disappearance when they have literally vanished without a trace,” Smith concludes.
