Glenda Derbyshire’s yearly plea for answers to lingering questions about her son’s disappearance has taken new form.
She recently learned Mounties wouldn’t hold the annual press conference that calls for tips about the night Aaron Derbyshire went missing, so she took a step outside traditional channels and is releasing previously undisclosed information to the media in hopes it will prompt someone to come forward.
The Derbyshires retained the services of a US-based organization that specializes in finding missing people and the information they’ve gathered rings true enough to confidently share with the community.
“They had told us that Aaron was accidentally killed and it was covered up by his body being burned on a large slash fire,” she said.
Part of this information, she said, was known to the family in the months after Aaron’s disappearance, although it’s never been released to the public.
“We’re sure there’s a group of people there who know exactly what happened to him,” she said.
If anybody has some answers, she said it could make a world of difference to the family.
“It has been a long time since he went missing… it’s been eight years,” she said.
“Every year it gets harder because not having the full answers or having anyone come forward with information that will let us have that healing begin.”
Aaron would be 30 today, and Glenda has no doubt that he would have been leading a great life.
“He was an amazing young guy,” she said. “Our family loved him dearly. He enjoyed doing stuff with us and his brothers. And he had a good job, a good group of friends and future plans… he had everything going for him and in an instant it was taken away.”
The then 22-year-old was last seen at Level nightclub in downtown Kelowna early on Sept. 30 2006. At approximately 1:40 a.m., Aaron’s friends went to investigate an altercation outside the club, leaving him alone inside. He has not been seen or heard from since.
He didn’t have his cell phone on him at the time of his disappearance, as it was found later in a work vehicle.
Since his disappearance, police have investigated hundreds of tips and conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, however Aaron remains missing.
The decision to not hold a press conference, said Const. Kris Clark, does not mean the police aren’t doing something to twig the memories of those who may have been involved in Derbyshire’s disappearance.
“This year we’re using a press release and Crime Stoppers and Global will do a video reenactment,” he said.
As for the new information, Clark said it’s not something police are unfamiliar with.
“All tips, regardless of the source, are investigated and followed up on,” he said.
“(The Derbyshires) have been eight years without their son and eight years without answers, and that’s obviously very difficult for them. What they’re looking for is answers, and the reality is if this theory is incorrect and produces more incorrect theories, all of those theories have to be investigated, and that’s resources diverted from the solid information.”
Investigators need your help and are asking anyone who has any information regarding the whereabouts of Aaron to come forward and finally bring peace to his family.
Aaron is described as:
• Caucasian
• 5 foot 10 in (177 cm)
• 160 lbs (73 kg)
• Short brown hair
• Clean shaven
• He was last seen wearing a dark blue plaid shirt and dark jeans.
Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Aaron Charles DERBYSHIRE is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.
@KelownaNewsKat
