It was a gift to Eva Couture, mom of a missing man whose car was found at a Chilliwack trailhead two years ago.
Forensic sketch artist Diana Trepkov created an “age progression” drawing of Kristofer Couture, and presented it to his mom on Jan. 26, to mark two years to the day since he went missing.
“Where is he today? What happened to him?” Trepkov posted on Facebook when she completed the sketch, adding she still holds out hope.
It was actually Kristofer Couture’s case from Jan. 26, 2019 that spurred Trepkov on to create the podcast, ‘Can I help you find your missing loved one?’ about her work. Trepkov has been involved in 233 cold cases, doing age progression sketches, putting faces on skulls, and working with police.
“So many missing loved ones are found years later. We can’t give up. Sure it doesn’t look good but we don’t know what we don’t know. Kris deserves to be located.”
Her sketch was a gift straight from the heart.
“Now, let’s find you, Kris,” she said softly in the video.
The Toronto artist, who has worked with police across North America since 2006, said she kept going back to the drawing of Kristofer, until she got “those big, beautiful brown eyes” just right.
“Eyes are the windows to the soul.”
RELATED: 2 years later his mom is still searching
As his mom has recounted over and over since the investigation, Kristofer ‘Kris’ Couture first arrived in the Lower Mainland from Edmonton, Alberta in mid January 2019 to look for work at the age of 25. He found it in construction.
The established facts are that he went to his roofing job in Maple Ridge the morning of Jan. 25, 2019 and was seen at Good Life Fitness in Burnaby that afternoon. The next day he was spotted leaving the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.
His mom has never given up hope of finding out what happened, and why her son’s grey Saturn was abandoned at the Elk Mountain trail. It was found by an off-duty RCMP officer, with the rear window smashed out.
“I got to know Diana shortly after we reported Kristofer missing and she has been a huge supporter since,” Couture said. “Seeing the portrait she drew for the first time on Tuesday, I was overwhelmed with emotion.”
Couture said she was blown away by the kindness, too, shown by so many who hold out hope for her, and stand by her, even strangers. It has been “amazing” to her just how supportive the community of Chilliwack has been.
People have gone out of their way and she doesn’t even know them.
“The fact that so many people care makes me believe he will not be forgotten.
“I miss his smile, his laugh. I miss everything about him. This gift gave me renewed hope that I will see him again.”
RELATED: One more search until investigation wound down
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Age progression sketch of Kristofer Couture by forensic sketch artist Diana Trepkov. (Diana Trepkov)
