Twenty years ago today, Courtney Struble went missing, a case that remains unsolved but not forgotten in Estevan.
“It’s been a challenge. Everybody recognizes that when a young person goes missing and it’s deemed a homicide, it impacts everybody in the community,” said EPS Chief Rich Lowen.
Struble, 13 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen walking home from her friend's house. She was never seen or heard from again. There has been little information on the case. In the years since her disappearance, the RCMP Historic Cases Unit, in conjunction with the Estevan Police Service, has taken over the investigation.
Lowen explained various areas of concern contribute to ruling a case as a homicide, especially when information is scarce.
“Sometimes it’s a simple fact, and sometimes it’s a collection of data. In this case, it’s been deemed a homicide, and it’s something we’d like to solve.”
Radio host Lyle McGillivray interviewed Joy Struble, Courtney's mother, days after she disappeared. He said that that interview has stuck with him for the last two decades. "That was probably one of the toughest interviews I've done, simply because she came right into the building to do it. It's hard to sit across from a parent and not have any help for them in a situation like that."
"It's hard to believe that those 20 years have passed and there's no closure. That's the hard part for me is that the family members, they've never had that closure. Any time you see a story like this elsewhere in the world, because it happens all the time, it doesn't have the impact that it does when it's right here in your own backyard."
In his 38 years of connecting with the community, McGillivray has seen other cases like Struble's, and said they never get easier. He empathizes with the families and law enforcement that's handling the case.
Chief Lowen added that the case remains important to the police service, and finding answers could bring closure to the family and community. “It’s a challenge after all these years, but we’re hoping somebody may have information that can help provide some closure. Any bit of information, even if it seems unimportant, can sometimes be the piece that helps break a case open.”
Lowen encouraged anyone with information on the case to contact Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The answer to Courtney Struble’s disappearance may be unknown now, but the police will continue to search for it.
“We always keep these cases open, hoping that some piece of information will help us close them, find individuals, and provide closure to families. We’ll keep working on it.”