Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Police are renewing a public appeal today in the long-term disappearance of Joan Walker, also known as Alaine Laverdure, as investigators continue searching for answers more than five years after she was officially reported missing and decades after her last confirmed contact with family.
According to the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), Joan/Alaine was reported missing to authorities on January 8, 2019, when her family contacted police after years without communication. Her family told investigators her last personal contact with relatives occurred in the fall of 2000, when she visited her sister in Winnipeg. Police say she has not been heard from by family members since that time.
Her last confirmed sighting, according to police, was on September 16, 2014, when she reportedly filed a complaint with the Red Deer RCMP in Alberta. That interaction was confirmed after a non-family member recognized her from a photograph provided by relatives.
Police describe Joan/Alaine as 5’0″, approximately 123 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Investigators say no additional sightings have been verified since 2014, and the case remains open with the WPS Missing Persons Unit.
Authorities emphasized the emotional hardship the case continues to place on her family, who have sought renewed attention in hopes that someone may have information that could help locate her or provide clarity about her movements since her last confirmed contact.
The WPS Missing Persons Unit is urging residents across Manitoba and Alberta—particularly those in Winnipeg and Red Deer—to come forward if they recall any interaction with Joan/Alaine or have information that may assist investigators.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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