On the 30th anniversary of one of Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 most notorious missing persons cases, family members hope a new age-enhanced sketch will help them find answers.
Four-year-old Michael Dunahee went missing from a playground in Victoria in 1991. Despite an extensive search involving hundreds of volunteers and police from multiple agencies, he was never found.
B次元官网网址淲e have always kept our hope alive,B次元官网网址 Crystal Dunahee said. B次元官网网址淚t is our hope that this new sketch, which shows what Michael may look like today, as a grown man, will help bring us the answers we need.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淚f Michael was in the room right now, I would just tell him how much I loved him,B次元官网网址 Bruce Dunahee, MichaelB次元官网网址檚 father, said during a Wednesday press conference. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been 30 years and we canB次元官网网址檛 give up looking for our son, and itB次元官网网址檚 so great to know that the police department and citizens in Canada and around the world havenB次元官网网址檛 given up either B次元官网网址 and thatB次元官网网址檚 what helps keep us going.B次元官网网址
On March 24, 1991, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the four-year-old boy went missing from the Blanshard school playground, just a short distance away from his family. A large number of people were in the area at the time for a touch football game.
Crystal said theyB次元官网网址檙e always looking at people wherever they go, wondering if one of them could be their son. Bruce said he still wears a T-shirt brandishing MichaelB次元官网网址檚 face 90 per cent of the time in case someone would see it and have some sort of information about his son.
B次元官网网址淲e continue to keep that hope alive,B次元官网网址 Crystal said.
Investigators are releasing a new age-enhanced sketch to mark the 30th anniversary of Michael DunaheeB次元官网网址檚 disappearance. (Courtesy of VicPD) |
B次元官网网址淪omeone out there knows what happened to Michael that day 30 years ago and where Michael is today. We need to hear from that person,B次元官网网址 said Detective Sgt. Michelle Robertson of the Victoria Police DepartmentB次元官网网址檚 historical case review section.
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The investigation into his disappearance remains one of the largest missing child investigations in Canada. To help gather information, a new online tip portal has been launched at
B次元官网网址淚t is absolutely heart-breaking to know this family has been searching for their child for three decades,B次元官网网址 said Lianna McDonald, executive director at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. B次元官网网址淢ichael did not just vanish. Someone somewhere knows what happened to him. ItB次元官网网址檚 been 30 years B次元官网网址 itB次元官网网址檚 time to come forward and share that information and help this hurting family.B次元官网网址
Crystal believes the new sketch, compared to computer-generated images, is a better representation of what the family feels Michael would look like now.
Victoria police chief Del Manak said the department has received 10,000 tips related to MichaelB次元官网网址檚 case over the last 30 years. He said the goal of launching the image is to generate additional awareness and tips about the case.
B次元官网网址淚 remember that day vividly,B次元官网网址 said Manak, who was serving as a relatively new officer at the time. As someone who grew up in Victoria the news caught his attention. B次元官网网址淭his particular investigation has been with me for my whole policing career.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 like to see closure. I would like to find Michael.B次元官网网址
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
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