Vancouver Province - Dec 24, 2007

Summary

Vancouver Province: Mon Dec 24, 2007 (Paul Walton) Trail cold on Nanaimo's own missing women

source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65725567
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clip: https://lisamarieyoung.ca/n/p20071224

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Trail cold on Nanaimo's own missing women

Mom, Grandma plead for info: RCMP say every lead now exhausted

Canwest News Service

NANAIMO — The mother and grandmother of two young Nanaimo women whose deaths remain unsolved are still waiting for that one piece of evidence that will end their anguish.

Laura Lee "Raven" Banman, 23, was reported missing in August 1999, and her skeletal remains were found on a logging road outside Campbell River in May 2000. While police will not release details, they say an autopsy revealed that Banman met with foul play.

Lisa Marie Young, 21, disappeared on the Canada Day long weekend in 2002. Within weeks, police determined that she had met with foul play, but have yet to gather enough evidence to charge anyone.

"It's not acceptable, it's pure murder," said Evelyn Sarsfield, Banman's grandmother, from her home near Grande Prairie, Alta. "Whoever did it deserves to be in jail like [Robert] Pickton."

Sgt. Dwight Dammann, who has investigated the Banman case since May 2000 but is planning to retire from the RCMP in six months, said they have now exhausted every lead and tip, interviewed anyone connected with her and even put up a sign near where the body was found on Highway 19, asking motorists to report any suspicious activity in that area leading up to May 2000.

Nothing. Serious crimes investigators from Nanaimo sought leads on the streets. Even the missing women's task force looked at Banman's file and could draw no conclusions.

"It's been reviewed by different sections. There's not a heck of a lot we can do with the information we have right now," said Dammann.

Sarsfield, now 68, raised Banman for eight years.

"How much longer have I got to wait to see someone brought to justice?" she asked. "If I had the money — and I don't — I'd put up a reward. I'll more likely die not knowing what happened to Laura."

She said Banman was drawn into drugs at a young age in the Grand Prairie area and from there, into the sex trade. Within a short time she was headed west to Vancouver and Nanaimo.

"She just followed the trail," said Sarsfield.

Lisa Marie Young was not a drug user nor in the sex trade. She was last seen at a Nanaimo nightclub. Joanne Young, her mother, said people have been forgetting after 6½ years.

"It's been really difficult in the last while," said Young.

In both cases, someone other than the killer knows what happened and police want the people who know to do the right thing and call them.

"I believe they need to step out of the darkness and say what they need to say for our family to put Lisa to rest," said Young.

Sarsfield is concerned that her granddaughter may not be the only victim. "How many others are there?" she wondered.

Dammann said he will likely retire in six months, but the case will go to someone else.

"We never close a murder file," he said.

Young said that in the new year, she intends to start a new campaign to seek information.

"I don't want anyone to ever forget about my daughter."

[image caption:]Lisa Marie Young disappeared on the Canada Day long weekend in 2002. Police have not yet charged anyone.