Ontario Provincial Police are renewing a call for information related to the disappearance of 35-year-old Melanie Lapish, who was last seen two years ago in the McDonald’s parking lot in Fort Frances.
Lapish has been missing since February 26, 2024, when she was last seen being dropped off at the parking lot on King’s Highway around 9 p.m. to meet someone for a ride. Police have not released the identity of that person, nor confirmed whether they have positively identified them behind the scenes.
Melanie Lapish, seen here in an OPP-provided photo, was last seen on February 26, 2024, when she was dropped off at the McDonald’s parking lot in Fort Frances to meet someone for a ride. She has been reported missing since March of that year. The OPP are renewing their call for any information related to her disappearance, and there is a $50,000 reward in place in relation to the case. – OPP photo
“It’s now been two years since Melanie went missing and her family continues to live with the uncertainty of her absence,” OPP Detective Inspector Ryan Gordon said in a press release.
“Someone out there has information that can help us bring much-needed answers to her family and loved ones. We urge you to come forward. A $50,000 reward remains in place in relation to this case.”
Lapish was not reported missing until early March that year, and the Rainy River District OPP formally opened an investigation on March 9. Her family has continued its appeal for information, emphasizing the emotional toll on her young son and its resolve to keep her case in the public eye.
Police have since classified the case as criminally suspicious and deployed multiple specialized units, including the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch and Forensic Identification Services.
Lapish is described as five-foot-nine (175 cm), 110 pounds (50 kg), with blonde hair, green‑blue eyes and a distinctive black‑and‑white butterfly tattoo on her lower back.
At the time of her disappearance, Lapish had a nose ring and was likely wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans and a toque. Police said she has ties with La Vallee Township, Echo Bay, Dryden, Sault Ste. Marie, Nipigon and Thunder Bay.
The investigation remains ongoing by the Rainy River District OPP, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch with assistance from the OPP North West Region Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services, OPP North West Region Emergency Response Team, OPP Aviation Unit, OPP Urban Search and Rescue CBRNE Response Team, OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit and OPP Canine.
Anyone with information related to investigation is asked to contact the Rainy River District OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
Her disappearance comes amid a steady volume of missing‑person investigations across Ontario. The OPP’s annual Missing Persons Act reports show that hundreds of cases each year require urgent investigative measures such as demands for phone, banking or travel records.
Northwestern Ontario has also seen several high‑profile disappearances in recent years, particularly involving Indigenous women and girls, underscoring the region’s longstanding concerns about vulnerability and safety.
