Nanaimo Daily News - June 24, 2005

Summary

Nanaimo Daily News: Fri June 24, 2005 (Paul Walton) "Memory of Lisa lives on"

source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39033448

clip: https://lisamarieyoung.ca/n/ndn20050624

[Reproduced under Copyright Act (Canada) s.29.2 - Fair Dealing for the purpose of news reporting]

Memory of Lisa lives on

It remains the most notorious unsolved crime in Nanaimo.

At the end of this month it will be three years since the disappearance of Lisa Marie Young. The 21-year-old went out the night of June 29, 2002 and was never heard from again. Within weeks police, while maintaining officially it was a missing person's case, said they believed Young met with foul play.

Lisa Young's mother, Joanne Young, said after three years, the pain has only become worse. For her and her husband Don Young it's the dual agony of not knowing what happened, and that they may never know. Every year, said Joanne Young, celebrating events like birthdays or seasonal celebrations only gets more difficult.

"Every day you want something to happen," she said.

When on June 30, 2002, Lisa didn't call home, Joanne and Don, immediately became concerned. It was unlike Lisa, they said, to be away from home for any extended time without calling. Calls to friends who said they had not seen or heard from Lisa Sunday and the holiday Monday then heightened their concern.

That weekend, Don was to use his delivery van to help Lisa move into a new residence and she was also about to start a new job. Within a week, it was clear something awful had happened to Lisa - though it has never become clear what that was. But both the Youngs and police know someone out there knows what happened to Lisa.

"There are definitely people out there who know something and we need them to step forward," said Joanne Young.

Irresponsible rumours about what happened and where Lisa's body could be found also surfaced, causing further pain for the Youngs.

As the police investigation continued, one of the few details they confirmed was that Lisa was last seen in a maroon-coloured Jaguar leaving the Jungle Cabaret on Skinner Street. The car and driver were located and a Parksville man was questioned, but whatever he said remains in a police file, Still, Joanne Young is convinced that man has information about Lisa's fate. And, she said, there are others who also know what he knows.

The idea there may be people out there with information that could lead to an arrest - and that the silence continues - has been perplexing and frustrating.

Though Joanne and Don Young live "day to day" with hope of a resolution, the Youngs have resigned themselves to the worst.

"We know in our hearts she's not here," said Joanne Young.