All they want for Christ-mas is the truth about what happened to their mother seven years ago.
Eighty-year-old Rhody Lake went missing on Nov. 27, 2005, while presumably on a walk from her Sandy Hook home. The fit and healthy grandmother of five was known to walk into town for church and get togethers, but on this occasion she did not return.
A massive search combed more than 40 square kilometres of forest looking for Lake, but no trace of her was ever found.
Recently the seven-year anniversary of her disappearance triggered some sad memories for daughter Jennifer Tipper.
“The anniversary date is always an extra tough time because, of course, it brings back the memories of those days she first went missing,” Tipper said. “It seems to get harder the more years that pass rather than easier. We are able to rationalize that she is gone only because we’ve not seen her in all this time, but the circumstances are impossible to rationalize or get past to have any kind of resolve or healing.”
The only clue into Lake’s disappearance has been the last reported sighting of her on Nov. 27, 2005 talking to a tall, older man with grey hair and a tan jacket at the entrance to Porpoise Bay Provincial Park. The man reportedly had a medium to large-sized dog with him.
Lake was wearing a bright red/orange tuque and carrying a walking stick. She is described as petite, 1.5 metres, 55 kilograms, with reddish-gray, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes.
If you have information about her disappearance or the man she was seen speaking to, contact the Sunshine Coast RCMP at 604-885-2266 or Crime-stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
“There is always some hope that when the anniversary date comes around, a story might trigger memories about something heard or seen at that time, or cause someone who knows something to come forward,” Tipper said.
