Lorraine Roach's disappearance remains a mystery as police search home
The Ontario Provincial Police executed a forensic warrant on Tuesday to search the home of a missing Peterborough, Ont., woman whose disappearance 17 months ago remains a complete mystery.
Lorraine Roach, whose 60th birthday is next month, was last seen on May 11, 2013. Her minivan was found at the side of Lily Lake Road, west of the city, with many of her possessions inside. It was an area she would commonly use to go back and forth from the city to her home in Selwyn Township.
Roach's daughter is speaking out, making a public appeal to help find her mother.
'I have hope that my mom is alive'
It was a call to wish her mom a happy Mother’s Day that first alerted Jennifer DeBernardi to the fact that her mother was missing. Roach never returned her call.
"I have hope that my mom is alive. I think we all kinda have to have a little bit of that to make it through every day," said DeBernardi."But, reality is, the longer that the person is missing, the reality is that probably she won't be found alive. But we can hope for those miracles."
Roach had suffered from depression her whole life but was on medication.
On Oct. 14, Peterborough County OPP did a ground search of an area in Selwyn Township, prompted by a tip. They didn't find anything, but did say they suspect foul play and acknowledge that Roach's disappearance is now a criminal investigation.
"She hasn't gone missing on her own. There hasn't been any access to her information that we know of. And she hasn't shown up," said Peterborough County OPP Const. Bruce Hanna. "There haven't been any hints that have helped us locate her in any way."
As police search the home that Roach shared with her husband George, he told CBC News he was too emotional to talk about it.
"It's just too hard for me to handle, that's all," he said.
Police are asking anyone with information to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
