By David F. Rooney
The mother of Joshua Jeffs, a young man who vanished near town back in 2013, is pleading for information from anyone who might know something — anything, really — about what happened to him.
Jeffs, then 23, disappeared after leading Revelstoke Mounties led police on a chase in a stolen vehicle that was later found abandoned at 12 Mile Flats at the end of Airport Road back on December 19, 2013. (Please click here to read the original story.)
At the time a woman who had been with Jeffs was located, arrested and charged with several property offences including break and enter. However, Jeffs was never found even after an exhaustive search involving many police officers, the Police Dog Service and RCMP helicopter.
Jeffs was described as being 5’11” in height and 160 lbs with brown hair and eyes, and several tattoos on his arms.
“If you are a parent you will understand my family’s need to locate my son’s remains,” Charlene Ehlert said in a Facebook message to The Revelstoke Current. “I do understand some people look down on son because he decided to run into the bushes when the police were in pursuit of him. But he is still my child, I never loved him less for the wrong choices he has made. Just as I’m sure you wouldn’t if your child made those choices, as well.”
She told The Current that while she did not like some of his life choices “we were very close” and he would certainly have contacted her at Christmas. That three Christmases have now gone by without any word from him is distressing for her. She hopes someone can bring her the peace of mind she and her family desperately crave.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Joshua Jeffs you can click here to contact her directly on her Facebook account Charlene K Slim or call her at 1-204-620-6906.
Here is the text of her message (edited for spelling and grammar) to The Revelstoke Current:
I am the mother of Joshua Jeffs who went missing in Revelstoke, British Columbia, over 2 years ago on December 19, 2013. I am pleading that someone (or some organization) is willing to help conduct a search for him this upcoming spring. I live in The Pas, Manitoba. I don’t have the resources to organize a search from two provinces away.
If you are a parent you will understand my family’s need to locate my son’s remains. I do understand some people look down on son because he decided to run into the bushes when the police were in pursuit of him. But he is still my child, I never loved him less for the wrong choices he has made. Just as I’m sure you wouldn’t if your child made those choices as well. After Josh went missing I told the RCMP that if he didn’t contact me by Christmas, as we were very close, I would know he never made it out of the bush. As time passed he was a missing person. I was informed that Search & Rescue would contact a search in the spring of 2014.
I then hitchhiked from northern Manitoba in May 2014. I stayed there for two weeks waiting for a search but, sadly, Revelstoke Search & Rescue were not ready to conduct a search. I hitchhiked back home and returned to work to wait to be contacted by Revelstock Search & Rescue. When they reached out to me for a search in June I once again hitchhiked there so I could be present for the search. But nothing was found, so I returned home. A few days later I read a report on the search in the local Revelstoke paper, which said they would not be having anymore searches for my son. I don’t know why I was not told that when I was in British Columbia.
This news was very upsetting, as any parent would understand.
So I am pleading for any sort of help as towards finding my son this upcoming spring. This experience has been extremely hard on me and my family. Please, for the peace of mind for myself and the rest of my children. Help us bring my son home.
You can contact me directly on my Facebook account Charlene K Slim or call 1-204-620-6906.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
Charlene Ehlert
