'Disappeared without a trace': Kitchener family pleads for help after daughter goes missing in B.C.
Jaqueline McDermott, 22, from Kitchener has been reported missing in B.C., and her family is putting out a plea across the country for help.
“We want to make sure that we are amplifying this message beyond just B.C. because I’m worried that she’s not there anymore,” said Nathalie St-Maurice, Jaqueline’s mother.
McDermott was last seen by her vehicle after attending a meditation retreat.
RCMP said her vehicle was found, but she was not in it or near it.
“A little while later, her vehicle appears to be broken down along Highway 97C between Merritt and Logan Lake,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson with media relations for RCMP.
St-Maurice said her daughter left in the spring of 2022 with the dream of exploring Canada while living in her van that she outfitted to be like a tiny home.
“She has a little bed in there, and she has a little kitchenette in there. Only thing she doesn’t have in there is a toilet,” said St-Maurice.
Her mother said she had plans to meet with friends in the coming days and weeks, but no one has heard from her.
She said it is not like her to cancel on her friends without notice.
In a news release, RCMP described McDermott as a Caucasian female, who is 5-foot-7 and 111 pounds. She has curly blond hair, a fair complexion with a medium build and a pierced nose.
Missing Poster for Jaqui McDermott (Submitted/Nathalie St-Maurice)
St-Maurice said she hasn’t been able to sleep much since she’s been missing. Her family is having a hard time making sense of it.
“Every time you close your eyes, you go down a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go down,” she said. “Basically disappeared without a trace. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy.”
Her mother said McDermott is a free spirit and artist.
“She’s a nature lover, she’s a vegan, she’s an animal lover, she’s an animal rights activist,” said St-Maurice. “She is loved by so many people. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.”
RCMP said the search will continue.
“The investigation will remain open and active until we find Jaqueline or find out what happened,” said Saunderson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.