More than a year after search efforts failed to turn up any clues in the mysterious disappearance of 17-year-old Jodi Henrickson, Mounties, North Shore Search and Rescue members, and local volunteers are heading back into the brush to find new leads.
They are hunting the Seven Hills area for any personal effects that could direct them to a possible crime scene. The search wasn't spurred by new information, Cpl. Dave Ritchie said, but will cover some areas overlooked during previous dog team searches.
"They are going to be going down terrain the dogs didn't get down, where it's quite steep," he said. "In other areas, if the dog was after a scent, they may have missed something small."
In March, police announced they were treating Henrickson's disappearance as a homicide. They have not explained why they believe she was met with foul play.
Henrickson's brother Rob James, who came out on Saturday to thank volunteers and authorities for their ongoing efforts, said the lack of closure still haunts his family.
"We're just trying to cope, doing our best, trying to stay focused on other things," he said. "We're just hoping for the best conclusion to this."
Squamish resident Henrickson arrived on the island on June 19, 2009. She was last seen in the early hours of June 20 by ex-boyfriend Gavin Arnott. The pair had attended a house party, but parted ways following an argument.
Arnott claims he left Henrickson on a stretch of road at about 5:30 a.m. that morning.
"I guess she walked off, I walked away without looking back," he said in an interview last August.
Henrickson's family only reported the 17-year-old missing on June 24, the day she had been expected to return to Squamish.
In the weeks following her disappearance, an extensive search that included the RCMP, and North Shore Search and Rescue, police dogs and helicopters, failed to uncover any signs of the teen.
No suspects have been named in the case.
Located less than 20 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay.
