Reward offered in case of missing Victoria boy
Last Updated: Friday, March 24, 2006 | 11:31 AM ET
CBC News
Victoria police hope a $100,000 reward will help solve a 15-year-old missing child case that sparked one of the biggest Canadian police investigations ever.
Michael Dunahee disappeared from a Victoria park 15 years ago today. Just four years old at the time, Michael was playing in a city park, metres from where his parents were to begin a softball tournament.
Despite the efforts of hundreds of searchers and the 11,000 tips reported to police, officers say they do not have a single solid lead in the case.
Victoria police Chief Paul Battershill says the Dunahee file is very different from most cold cases.
"On other cold cases, you might focus on evidence you had from a crime scene, or talk to witnesses that somehow related to a suspect. But in this case, there has been no clearly identified primary suspect, which often you will have on cold cases," he told CBC News on Thursday.
- FROM FEB/ 16, 2005: Dunahee disappearance case reopened
Michael's mother, Crystal Dunahee, says she believes her son is alive and waiting to be rescued.
"The 15 years we've been struggling along. We've maintained the hope. That's my belief, that he's out there somewhere, just waiting," Dunahee told CBC News.
Since Michael's disappearance, the Dunahee family has organized fundraisers, charity runs and dances. It has produced thousands of posters and age-enhanced photographs, netting thousands of tips but no leads.
Battershill hopes the $100,000 reward from Michael's trust fund will change that.
"There is someone out there that knows something and there may be somebody out there who's not responsible for what happened but they may have knowledge of it," he said.
"What we're hoping is that the anniversary will have significance to someone who knows something and we're hoping that the $ 100,000 reward will influence someone's decision-making as well."
