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As the anniversary of the disappearance of Luke Joly-Durocher passed in early March, his mother, Monique, and sister, Priscillia, confirm they will never stop searching for answers, hoping to find the lead that will bring peace to Luke and assuage some of the grief felt by his family.
"We're not giving up," says Priscillia. "We appreciate the support from our community, I can't even express the gratitude. I hope it brings Luke home."
It's been 11 years since Luke disappeared after a night out in North Bay. Although it is painful to accept, there is little doubt in Monique's mind that her son met with foul play. She has expressed previously that recovering Luke's remains — whether that leads to criminal charges against those responsible or not — is the focus.
A reward of $50,000 remains in place for anyone with information on Luke’s whereabouts. At this point, "it's not the police that are going to find Luke, it's the people," says Monique. "People have to keep on talking. We have to put on some pressure. Not to say who did it but just to find my son. I just want to know where he is."
Monique and Luke's father, Rob, separated before their son's disappearance. Recently, Rob announced he is working with a private investigator on Luke's case.
Monique and Priscillia, feeling there could never possibly be too much done in their quest to find Luke, have reinforced their relationship with those behind the investigative Shedding Light Podcast and have joined forces with a Facebook group dedicated to sharing information on Luke's disappearance.
See related: Shedding Light Podcast turns focus to Luke Joly-Durocher case
After meeting with the hosts of Shedding Light, Monique says she knew she had found allies "who were concerned about finding my son, to find out where he is."
Monique and Priscillia also recently asked for — and have been granted — the assistance of Please Bring Me Home, an organization with a stated mission to solicit anonymous tips regarding cold case missing persons across Canada to find the missing and bring them home to their family and friends.
Based in Owen Sound, Please Bring Me Home is a not-for-profit entity bolstered by volunteers who donate their knowledge, time, experience and equipment. There is a roster of 15 investigators actively working on over 30 cases. In total, Please Bring Me Home and its members have assisted in locating 17 missing people, two of whom were deceased, in their investigations dating back to 2016.
Please Bring Me Home has access to search and rescue experts, forensic anthropologists, law enforcement veterans, private investigators, underwater ROV experts, ground-penetrating radar experts, criminologists, and human detection dogs. The investigation into Luke's disappearance will now be backed by the resources of this organization.
Brett Robinson has taken the lead on Luke's case. From the Guelph area, he is a licensed private investigator who holds a Master's degree in Profiling and Behaviour Analysis and works on a volunteer basis for Please Bring Me Home. Robinson successfully closed the Mehmet Keske case last year.
"We work with the families of anyone who is considered a missing person," says Robinson, noting Please Bring Me Home has a large platform with both a robust email distribution list and social media presence.
As an investigator, Robinson says he is thankful for all the work spent sorting through tips and chasing down leads by Luke's family, Shedding Light, and the Facebook group. The comprehensive spreadsheet of tips compiled by Shedding Light and shared with Luke’s parents and the North Bay Police Service this past fall has given Robinson a solid base from which to work.
See also: Police hoping new video will solve Luke Joly-Durocher disappearance
The hope is a fresh set of eyes will move Luke's case forward. "I've never had this amount of exposure, of tips, of people saying they know something about what's happened," Robinson shares. "It's a lot of information to go through to get myself up to speed but we're really thrilled with the way it's going so far."
Robinson has been going through hours of recorded interviews, email chains, snapshots of text messages and once he has his bearings, plans a trip to North Bay to see the relevant areas of interest in Luke's case.
"We have dozens and dozens of leads to track down," he says.
Robinson stresses it's a team effort and he will rely heavily on the partnerships made in North Bay. Some witnesses or tipsters have established a rapport with or could feel more comfortable speaking with Monique, the podcast hosts or the administrator of the Facebook group.
He says his investigation will be split into two separate areas. The plan is to develop witnesses who were there on March 4, 2011. "There are a lot of people talking and the police have that information, as well. We are looking to develop witnesses who were there and are willing to talk about being there and having direct information about what's happened to Luke.
"Secondly, if Luke has indeed passed away, we are looking for his body. Those are the two areas we are really focused on."
Robinson acknowledges there is "a lot of noise around this case," and it takes experience to filter the important information. The working theory continues to focus on Luke's having met with foul play, hence the need to speak to people who were with him leading up to such an incident.
At the same time, "It's important we keep the volume of communication up there, via our platforms, via the media," says Robinson. "That's what brings in the evidence — whether that's through the police or through us — as we develop our investigation. We will hand over everything we have, of course."
As Monique and Priscillia look on stoically, Robinson confirms, "If we found Luke's body we would continue to investigate as to how he passed away. We're really focused on finding the body but we're also looking to develop witnesses who feel comfortable speaking with the police. People who claim they were there are not always the same people who are willing to speak to the police."
According to Please Bring Me Home, all tips will remain anonymous. "It is true in most cases that someone knows something and quite often several people hold that key piece of information. We need these people to come forward to help complete the puzzle. We pray that people will finally have the courage to come forward and speak the truth if for nothing else, to bring these people home. People often comment, 'I might know something but I doubt it’s important.' We can assure you that all information is relevant in completing the picture."
If you have anything to share about Luke’s story please visit Please Bring Me Home — anonymous tips can be submitted via the website. Their anonymous tip line is 226-702-2728. If you have any information you would like to share with the North Bay Police Service they can be reached at 705-497-5555. You can also contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
