Abbotsford family pleads for answers on 5-year anniversary of daughter's disappearance
An Abbotsford family is renewing their plea for help to find their missing daughter on the five-year anniversary of her disappearance.
Kristina Ward was last seen in Surrey on Sept. 27, 2017, walking with a man that police have never been able to identify.
Surveillance video taken near 144th Street and 104th Avenue sometime between 7:50 and 8:45 p.m. shows the then 20-year-old walking behind a man with a bike.
Police hope someone will be able to identify him.
“Police encourage everyone to view the video. Unfortunately, it is taken from quite a distance, however you may be familiar with the gait or mannerisms of the male walking with Kristina,” said RCMP in a news release two years after her disappearance.
Her mother, Lee Anne Ward, said her daughter had plans to meet up with some friends in Langley the day she vanished.
“It's painful to keep on going on and not knowing anything,” Lee Anne said.
It’s unclear how she ended up in Surrey and her phone and bank account have had no activity since then.
“Investigators have received several ‘tips’ relating to Kristina but unfortunately, none have proven fruitful,” said Cpl. Holly Largy, of Langley RCMP in a news release.
Art Ward, Kristina's father, also said they've received many "phony tips."
“That gets our hopes up a little bit and then we’re shot down. But somebody knows where Kristina is,” he said.
Kristina is now 25-years-old, but has the mental capacity of someone far younger.
She is described as Indigenous, 5'5", 130 pounds, with curly brown hair, and brown eyes.
Her mother told CTV News back in 2019 she believes her daughter was misled and was abducted.
She and other loved ones are hosting their second annual walk through the area Ward was last seen on Tuesday morning.
“The good Lord gives us hope. It says on my hat, God is good all the time. Doesn't let us down. He prolongs things, but doesn’t let us down," Kristina's father said.
The family is hoping to spark people’s memories and get more information about what happened to her.
“We are pleading to the public for tips to bring closure to the family and to bring Kristina back home, as she has a five-month old niece named after her, waiting at home to meet her auntie,” said Lee Anne Ward in a statement released by RCMP.
Baby Kristina’s mother, Jessica, was overcome with emotion during Tuesday’s walk.
She made a sign for her stroller reading “Please help find my Auntie Kristina Ward” covered with small pink hand prints.
She told CTV News Vancouver she believes the two Kristinas would be best friends.
“I know she’d be a good auntie,” she said.
Jessica spent 10 years on the Downtown Eastside, but has since been reunited with her family.
The Wards hope they’ll be able to have the same homecoming with their other daughter.
Kristina’s name has been added to the database list of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Anyone with information that might assist in locating Ward is asked to call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.