Missing persons cases still open
Lethbridge police are still actively working on two historic missing persons cases. On Thursday, police were happy to report the conclusion of a decades old mystery in the disappearance of sisters Anna and Kym Hakze.
“It’s a good reminder to everyone that you can’t conclude a case without knowing one way or the other,” said LPS Staff Sgt. Scott Woods, of the Criminal Investigation Section. “We’ll keep at it regardless, whether or not we get the results we want.”
Julie Ann Derouin was 23 when she was last seen on New Year’s Day 1980 — and there have been no confirmed sightings of her since. Today, she would be 60.
She was officially reported missing in June 1983. LPS say a background investigation determined Derouin moved to Lethbridge from B.C.’s lower mainland in the latter part of 1979. At the time, she was an associate of the now defunct Ghost Riders Motorcycle Club. As the investigation progressed, police received conflicting and unconfirmed reports she may have returned to B.C. or moved to Ontario, as well as reports she was the victim of a homicide.
In 1985, police obtained a warrant to search and excavate the home Derouin was believed to have shared with her boyfriend. But despite an exhaustive search of the property, no trace of her was found.
Over the years, police have conducted dozens of interviews but to date officers have not been able to confirm whether Derouin simply walked away from her life or is the victim of foul play.
Theodore Murray Milde was reported missing on Feb. 18, 1993, after a friend found a note, along with Milde’s keys inside, his mailbox. The note indicated where Milde’s vehicle could be found and directed his friend to attend his home to pick up some property he wanted him to have.
Police subsequently searched the residence and found several other notes. Milde’s vehicle was later located on 28 Street North just outside the city limits — exactly where he said it would be.
Footprints in the snow led into the coulees. In the days and weeks that followed, police conducted extensive searches in the river valley and surrounding area, but no trace of Milde has ever been found. Milde has had no further contact with family or friends since his disappearance in 1993, and while evidence suggests he may have taken his own life, his body has never been recovered.
One of the challenges with investigating decades-old cases is losing witnesses over time, some moving or passing away, Woods explained.
“We can’t go back to do some of the things we want or re-interview people. Those are challenges that always happen as these drag on over decades.”
But every missing persons case remains open, and is looked at regularly, until police know what happened to the individuals.
“We still try to break them down and pass them on to different individuals over time so another set of eyes can have a look at them because over time it’s easy to miss just one small detail which can make a huge difference,” he said.
Anyone with information on these cases is asked to contact police at 403-328-4444 or Crime Stoppers 1-800222-8477. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.tipsubmit.com. - with files from Nick Kuhl Follow @MelissaVHerald on Twitter