March 4, 2011, is a day that has lived on for all the wrong reasons these past nine years.
That date represents the last time anyone saw Luke Joly-Durocher. Until this past fall, it was believed he had disappeared after being denied entrance to Cecil’s in downtown North Bay. Police then revealed they had discovered that he made his way to Shooters Bar at the Voyager Inn on Delaware Avenue.
There, he was seen accepting a ride from at least one patron, and from there, Joly-Durocher has disappeared into thin air.
“The tips continue to come in on a weekly basis, especially since the last media release [in October],” Constable Dave Wilson said. “There was a media campaign that went very well and sparked a lot of renewed interest in the community and the case and we are happy more tips are coming in, however, we’re continuing to work on the case and linking information with prior information.”
“We’re hoping people continue to give their tips in hopes that we can finally put this together,” Wilson continued.
With the new evidence of Joly-Durocher being at Shooters, Wilson says it helps to narrow the investigation.
“It focuses the relative pieces of information that link to that part of the evening that helps you narrow and focus on the tips that would maybe be of more importance or priority,” he explained.
After nine years, however, optimism can come at a premium.
“We have to remain open to all avenues and all possibilities,” Wilson said. “Of course the fact that Luke is not with us anymore is definitely a possibility given the passage of time. We remain positive in the sense that we someway, somehow will bring answers and some form of closure to this family and to this investigation regardless of what the end results may be.”
As first reported by Bay Today, Luke’s father, Rob Joly, says the family remains hopeful and that they still celebrate Luke’s life on the anniversary of his disappearance.
Wilson has worked the case since it first came to the North Bay Police Service’s attention on March 7, 2011, and he says it has become a big part of his life.
“We desperately want to solve the case as much as the family and the community,” he explained. “This is one of the biggest questions our community has faced in years and we will do whatever it takes. We need the community behind us along with all of our community members.”
“At the end of the day, police can’t solve crimes without people coming forward,” Wilson continued. “This case remains a highly active case. We have received hundreds of tips and it’s not something you can get through in a few weeks. It has literally taken us years, and although we have made a lot of progress, there is a lot to go yet.”