The family of missing youth Lucas James Degerness will stand alongside the RCMP and the Missing Children Society of Canada this week on the fifth anniversary of the boy's disappearance. They will speak to the public on Thursday about the progress made and questions still unanswered in the case.
"We want to let people know that they can contact Missing Children Society of Canada as well as the RCMP on this case," said Ted Davis, an investigator with Missing Children. "Should you wish to contact MCSC, you can choose to remain absolutely confidential and anonymous. Together with the RCMP, our only focus is to resolve this case, and bring some answers for Lucas and his family."
Degerness was 14 years old when he went missing. His 19th birthday happened on January 29 and was marked with a vigil on the steps of the Prince George Courthouse attended by loved ones and supporters.
In February, an age-enhanced sketch was released by the RCMP showing what Degerness would likely look like today.
"I think the quality is good and I'm sad that in the sketch, he looks grown up, which in turn, gives me hope," said his mother Gina Degerness said. "I want it to go viral on the internet so that it may jog memories, flush him out, or if something bad has happened to him, that whomever knows - and there is someone who knows - that they will have the human decency to at least leave an anonymous valid tip."
He has not been seen since June 7, 2007 when he left a meeting with the school vice-principal at PGSS - a meeting that went well, according to those in attendance, but the youth did not show up at the next scheduled class. He has not been seen or heard from since.
In addition to the RCMP, and inquiries by family, MCSC has been involved in the case since about the six-month mark in Degerness's disappearance.
"MCSC is the only non-profit organization in North America that employs an in-house team of retired police detectives dedicated to the active search for abducted and missing children," said Davis. "On the anniversary of Lucas' disappearance, MCSC will call out for that key piece of information needed to resolve this case."
If you have any information about Lucas James Degerness or where he might be, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-TIPS (8477), online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca, or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637) using keyword "pgtips". To contact MCSC, call 1-800-661-6160 toll free or email tips@mcsc.ca.
