Two young aboriginal women from the Maniwaki area haven't been seen in nearly two weeks, leaving their families distraught and making emotional appeals for their safe return.
Maisy Odjick, 16, and Shannon Alexander, 17, were last seen in Maniwaki on Sept. 5. The close friends live in the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation Territory.
"Anyone who needed help, she would help," said Bryan Alexander, Shannon's father, fighting tears and begging her to call home on Friday.
Their disappearance has baffled police, who don't believe the teens ran away based on what they left behind: their identification and wallets.
Kitigan Zibi Police have investigated 32 tips but are no closer to finding answers, said Chief Gordon McGregor.
The deep fear is that the teens are victims of foul play. More than 500 aboriginal Canadian women have gone missing or been murdered in the last 20 years.
The Kitigan Zibi Ashinabeg band doesn't want their girls added to the grim statistic. The community has never had a child disappear - let alone two.
Maisy Odjick is 6-feet tall, 125 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She has piercings on her bottom lip and left nostril, and scars on top of her right eyebrow and left forearm.
Shannon Alexander is 5-foot-9, 145 pounds, also with brown hair and brown eyes. She has a scar on her left knee.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 819-449-4333 or 819-449-6000.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins
