ESTEVAN – There’s renewed hope in solving a decade-old cold case in Estevan.
Thirteen year old Courtney Struble went missing in 2004, and in 2010 police told Global News they believe she was murdered.
Struble spent the night of July 9th, 2004 watching a movie with friends. Now, ten years later, RCMP are once again asking for people to come forward.
While they say the passage of time can hurt an investigation, it could also help.
“In many cases in long standing investigations that time change allows for changing alliances of people, changing attitudes, or a change in circumstance that encourages them to come talk to police where they haven’t in the past,” said Cpl. Larry Kurtenbach with the RCMP Historical Case Unit.
The newest step is something mounties didn’t have at their disposal a decade ago, unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs. They’re essentially remote control helicopters mounted with cameras. They’ll be used in searches around the Estevan area in the next few weeks, along with ground penetrating radar which could perhaps detect a body underground.
Courtney’s mother, Joy Struble, says she hopes that kind of discovery will be made, but it won’t heal the wounds left behind.
“Losing a child is like losing a limb. You learn to function without it, but every day you miss it. You mourn for it, and you need answers. That’s what we’re hoping we’ll get,” said Struble.
She says the family would like a proper resting place for Courtney, and in marking the ten anniversary of her disappearance to not make it eleven.
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