ESTEVAN — This week marks 19 years since Estevan's Courtney Struble was last seen. In November this year, she would have turned 33.
Struble, 13 years old at the time, disappeared on July 9, 2004. That night, she had been watching movies with friends. When the time came to go home at about 11:30 p.m., she declined a ride, opting for a walk.
All of her friends and family members say they've never seen her again.
At first, it was the Estevan Police Service handling the case, and then the RCMP took over the investigation a few years later. Struble's disappearance was first treated as a runaway but eventually was investigated as a homicide.
The Saskatchewan RCMP Historical Case Unit has been actively investigating the circumstances of Struble's disappearance all these years.
She was last seen walking towards her residence in Estevan, according to the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police website. There have been reported sightings of Struble, however, she has not been located, and investigation and searches have failed to locate her.
At the time of disappearance, Struble was 161 cm, weighing 57 kilos. She has been described as Caucasian with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a birthmark on the nape of her neck and a 1 1/2-inch scar on her left shin.
"Investigators remain committed to working diligently to locate Courtney. To date, investigators have conducted many interviews, neighbourhood inquiries, proactively searched areas, and continue to follow up on any information provided to them with the hope of bringing Courtney home. Investigators also continue to maintain communication with Courtney's mother to keep her informed," said RCMP in an email to the Mercury.
"The passage of time has proven to be the most challenging aspect of this missing person's investigation, nonetheless, as with any missing persons investigation, it remains active and the Saskatchewan RCMP's investigational work has not concluded.
"Investigators believe there could be individuals who know what happened to Courtney. They also understand that circumstances change and someone who was initially hesitant may now be more comfortable coming forward with information. Investigators are looking to anyone who may have information about Courtney's disappearance, or details about where she may be, to report it."
Nineteen years later, Struble's disappearance is still an unsolved open case, but work continues.
"The Saskatchewan RCMP would like to thank public and media agency partners for your continued interest and commitment to spreading awareness of this missing persons investigation through diligent reporting," the RCMP said.
Last year, the day after the anniversary of Struble's vanishing, the RCMP launched a campaign to help with the investigation. Starting July 10, 2022, Struble's image and information were featured on digital billboards and police social media channels as part of Project HOME (Help Our Missing Emerge), a province-wide, multi-jurisdictional campaign that aimed to bring attention to long-term missing person cases in Saskatchewan.
As part of the campaign, seven billboards were placed in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Prince Albert and North Battleford, displaying the pictures, names and some brief details about the majority of those who remain missing in the province. Additional information about the long-term missing person cases across Saskatchewan can be found on the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police website at www.sacp.ca/missing-persons.html.
If you have information about Struble, please report it to the Saskatchewan RCMP by calling 310-RCMP, or to "F" Division RCMP Historical Case Unit at (639)-625-4111, Toll-free 1-833-502-6861, or over email at [email protected]. You can also report information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or through www.saskcrimestoppers.com.
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