Family and friends of Lisa Marie Young, missing from Nanaimo since 2002, will be gathering in Nanaimo June 30 for the annual walk and vigil to keep Lisa’s memory alive. This year the walk is being done in honour of Lisa’s mother Joanne (Martin) Young who died of natural causes in June 2017, never getting the answers she was looking for.
It has been 16 years since Lisa, then age 21, disappeared without a trace after a night out with friends. She has Tla-o-qui-aht roots; her grandfather, Moses Martin, is the current Tla-o-qui-aht elected chief.
The case seemed to be a solvable case with all the available information surrounding her disappearance. Lisa’s friends confirmed that she left a house party with a man the group had met that night. She stated she was hungry and he offered to take her to a restaurant in the early morning hours of June 30, 2002. They knew what kind of car he drove and they even knew his name.
The man was questioned and the car located; but all these years later, Lisa is still missing.
“Our family wants answers – we want the story of what happened and we want her remains – my sister never got her answers so we will carry the torch for her,” said Carol Frank, Lisa Young’s aunt.
Frank says the family has been invited to meet with the RCMP on June 19 to hear an update on the investigation.
The event will begin on June 30 at 1 p.m. at the Nanaimo RCMP Detachment at 303 Prideaux Street in downtown Nanaimo. Organizers are arranging what they call a peaceful protest at the police station where they hope to raise awareness about the fact that Lisa remains missing.
The walk will begin at 2 p.m. from the police station to Maffeo Sutton Park on the Nanaimo waterfront, ending at the Lion’s Pavilion where a vigil will be held.
The family invites people to the Facebook group Lisa Marie Young to see any updates.
