Mélanie Ethier’s mother Celine is pleased with two new billboards alerting people about her daughter’s disappearance some 30 years ago that have been installed along Highway 11 just south of Latchford and near Thornloe.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have installed the new billboards showing the clothing worn by the 15-year-old when she was last seen on September 29, 1996, on her way home from a friend’s house in New Liskeard.
Police say foul play is suspected in the teen’s disappearance.
“She was last seen in a green Nike jacket, black boots, a distinct necklace and possibly blue jeans,” say police.
In addition to those items, Celine Ethier says Mélanie had 121 artificial hair extensions in her hair that may still be in existence.
Ethier is pleased with the new billboards and grateful to the OPP for installing the signs, she said in a sit down interview with The Speaker.
“I wanted something fresh, I wanted pictures of her clothing and what she was wearing when she went missing,” said Ethier. “These hair extensions that she was wearing, I put them in her hair and they are synthetic and if someone was walking in the bush they look like a rope and if someone comes upon those items she was wearing it is important they know this could be an important part of finding Mélanie. With the billboards in Latchford and near Thornloe now her missing person case is covered in both ends of the region,” noted her mother. “It involves more people seeing the billboards and that is good.”
Ethier feels the wording on the billboards and their location is important to her.
“The wording, people would take the information to their grave, I wanted that.”
The New Liskeard Police Department was the initial investigator of the case but they disbanded and turned the investigation over to the Temiskaming OPP.
Since Mélanie’s disappearance, police have undertaken ground searches, canine searches, aviation, as well as underwater searches along the Wabi River in New Liskeard.
“I want to thank the OPP and Crime Stoppers, this is huge. I received the photo of the billboards from the police the night before they were put up and I was pleased. I wanted to go see it so I went with my mother to the one near Thornloe and I added a yellow bow and some flowers to it. It was special for me and my mom to go see it for the first time. Again, I hope they are going to bring in more tips.”
She is willing to take any new information people may have about her daughter’s missing person case. They can contact her through the Facebook page Let’s Work Together To Find Melanie Ethier or contact missingkids.ca or call the Temiskaming OPP at 705-647-8400 or report tips to Crime Stoppers.
There is a $50,000 reward being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the disappearance of Mélanie Ethier.
