Still searching
Sister refuses to give up on finding the remains of her sibling who has been missing for almost 35 years
Cheryl Doherty believes her sister, Theresa Ann Gregory, was forever silenced almost 35 years ago.
Gregory disappeared from her home in Bangor, P.E.I., on June 21, 1982.
She has not been heard from since. Her husband, Kenny Gregory, committed suicide in 1992 after CBC’s investigative program “The Fifth Estate” suggested evidence pointed to Kenny murdering his 31-yearold wife, then burying the body, after abusing her for years.
Doherty, though, is no longer interested in casting blame. She only wants the remains of her sister to be found.
“I want closure, not justice,’’ says Doherty.
Doherty was just turning 15 when her much older sister went missing. Life changed instantly for the teenager. Gone from her life was a big sister 15 years her senior – a sibling Doherty loved very much, a person who had always been there to provide support.
“It was very confusing all the time,’’ she recalls.
“It was very hard to know where I was.’’
Seeking answers on her sister’s fate has caused a great deal of stress for Doherty the past 35 years.
She contacted the police many, many times either to learn how the case was progressing or to offer her own input.
In 2010, she was certain clothes she unearthed with the help of police belonged to her long-lost sister.
That promising discovery, however, in the end proved yet another dead end in this cold case.
The RCMP today believes all avenues of investigation have been exhausted.
“Certainly, from a policing point of view we would love to be able to bring some closure to (Doherty) and the other family members … , but there are no viable leads to follow,’’ says RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Baillie. Doherty does not want to see efforts end to recover the remains of her sister.
Five years ago, she began to feel a greater sense of urgency in finding Theresa Ann Gregory’s remains so family could give their loved one a proper burial. A diagnosis of thyroid cancer left Doherty facing her own mortality.
“So time became a big deal for me,’’ she says. “Whenever I do pass, I want to do it with some peace.’’
Fortunately, Doherty’s health has improved – she is cancerfree today. She feels strong both mentally and physically.
The Vernon River woman is reaching out to the public once again in hopes of having her sister’s remains unearthed. She is making the call in a unique and powerful manner.
Over the past five years, Doherty has picked away at a poem capturing how she envisions her presumed dead sister making a plea to be reunited with family.
“This is for Ann and this is for me,’’ she says.
“I just want to give her a voice.’’
Doherty turned to The Guardian to share the poem, which the newspaper is running in full. One poignant line of note in the poem reads: “I want to go home to rest in peace, with family beside me, and anger released.’’
Doherty says she is hoping to be able to come to peace with the very real possibility that her sister’s remains will forever remain where they may well have been for almost 35 years.
She refuses to spend the rest of her life feeling resentful. She has a full life and she wants to continue living it fully.
Still, Doherty will always hold strong to the love she has for her sister.
“I will never forget her,’’ she says.
“Every day I think about her. She may never be found, and it took a long time for me to wrap my head around that.’’