As temperatures peaked at -14 degrees, dozens gathered in a community south of Edmonton to search for a missing 25-year-old woman on Tuesday.
According to Devon RCMP, Kathleen Ferraz-Duchesneau’s vehicle was found parked and running in the median south of the Devon Bridge on Jan. 6.
Const. Mike Gibbs of RCMP K Division media relations told CTV News she was last seen by family that evening.
“At this point, our last known location for Kathleen was at her residence, between 10:30 and 10:45,” Gibbs said.
“Her vehicle was located at 11:10 p.m. just south of the Devon Bridge by a passerby. RCMP arrived on scene and located the vehicle, but Kathleen was not in the vehicle.”
The situation has been “a shock” to friends and family, brother-in-law Andrew Lemoine said.
A family-organized search effort met Tuesday morning to comb the nearby foot trails and river area for evidence the young woman walked away from the location.
“We’re looking for footprints, clothing,” Lemoine explained.
“We’re just looking for anything. All culverts, all trees. Anything and everything.”
Lemoine said police believe she got into a vehicle because there were few footprints at the scene, but he isn’t so sure.
“When the cop came to my house, I got dressed right away and went to the bridge where she crashed her vehicle. I couldn’t even see his footprints. And within the hour, I couldn’t see my own,” he recalled.
Lemoine expressed disappointment with how police first handled the case, saying a search on Monday night ended with a shift change at 2 a.m.
However, he and others have been searching for Ferraz-Duchesneau on and off since she was reported missing, taking a break Monday evening when it grew too dark. RCMP are also working with the Devon Fire Department, Parkland Search and Rescue and the Canadian Search Dog Association.
Ferraz-Duchesneau is 165 centimetres (5’5”) tall, weighs 109 kilograms (240 pounds), and has green eyes and blondish-brown hair. Police said she may be wearing glasses, a fur-trimmed purple jacket or blue jeans.
Anyone with information on her location is asked to call Devon RCMP at 780-987-3414 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
With files from David Ewasuk
