Found Deceased Canada - Jacqueline McDermott, 22, car broke down on Hwy 97 C, between Merritt and Logan Lake, BC, 30 Sept 2022

[Centaurus]

Thanks so much for this information, @annicaelan. It helps so much to have input from locals. My next question would have been about access to the mines, so you answered that for us.
Unless, JM had some kind of mental break that made her walk away from everything, I have to consider abduction the next highest probability on my list. The reason for this is the keys she left behind. If she walked into the woods to relieve herself or even just to stretch her legs, or if she started off towards town to find someone who could help fix the van, I really believe she would have taken the keys. Not only is it her transportation, it is her home.
JM seems to be a confident, self assured young woman. She is used to traveling on her own. I think she would have good instincts and a pretty accurate hunky meter. However, if you’re alone with a broken down vehicle several miles from the nearest town, you may be more apt to accept a ride from the friendly stranger who stops to lend you a hand.

Exactly! Not taking her keys is a huge red flag for me.

 

[OldCop]

Someone who knows more than me, why would they withhold the actual location? What is the value that outweighs getting potential public feedback?

I’m thinking perhaps the location where JM was seen at the van with the jerrycan may be separate from where the van was found abandoned, maybe by just a couple of miles. As @jash said up thread, perhaps the van started acting up, chugging or something. JM thinks she’s running out of gas so she uses the jerrycan to pour in some fuel. Some locals see her doing this as they drive by. She gets back in and is able to drive a little further up the road, but the van finally just conks out. This is where whatever happened happened.
If it happened something like this, LE may not want the public to zero in on one location over the other. They want people to think about whatever they may have seen over that stretch of highway “near Mamit Lake” as opposed to one specific spot on the highway.
This is just a guess. LE is welcoming lay searchers at this point so it doesn’t seem to be an issue of possible evidence contamination. Hopefully they did all their forensics on the van and the immediate area once it was located.

 

[5W's]

I somehow missed the text in the graphic below. It states she left the retreat Friday "evening". The sun sets around 6:30 in Merritt, BC so it's likely it was dark or getting dark when she stopped on the side of the road. If she was experiencing mechanical issues, it would make sense to hunker down for the night and wait until morning to troubleshoot.

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They've also created a Find Jaqui Facebook group now: Log into Facebook

I originally thought it was daylight also. But this adds a whole level of new terror because for one I think her cellphone was not working due to inability to charge so on that front she is completely helpless. So I can see the poor girl hunkering down for the night, yes I think she was hoping it was an issue of the tank not having enough gas so she was seen with the jerrycan. Secondly later at night hardly any vehicles go down. In the daytime even its not that busy. I was watching a Youtube video to see how busy it was IMO it deosn't look busy at all. So imagine at night. But did Jaqui lock her doors. Although I suppose it doesn't matter because someone can break in, but we don't know if that kind of damage was found by LE on her vehicle. I also suppose Jaqui could open the door to someone knoking. I just can't imagine how terrifying that would be for the poor girl. She probably tired to hold it together. Or another possibility could be a perp said "open the door its police we are here to do a welfare check." When she doesn't have a phone available she can't check the authenticity of the person/s outside sadly. Poor Jaqui was in a very vulnerable situation for a few reasons here as I mentioned. No one saw what was happening because the traffic wasn't there.

 

[5W's]

Timeline ...

September 30 - leaves the retreat, drives 30 minutes to Merritt.
October 1, morning - adding gas, location unknown
October 1, morning - starts 30 minute, 30 mile drive to Logan Lake

20 minutes later, she is near Mamit Lake. This is mentioned upthread as the general location where her van was found. Her vehicle stops working. She is 9 miles from Logan Lake. She seems fit and healthy enough to jog or walk that distance in daylight, but she would lock her van.

My point is that she was not stranded. She wasn't in some desolate place where she had to pee in the woods rather than use the toilet (no more than 15 minutes away at any time). She also wasn't in a place where someone would need a jerry can. She would go to the gas station.

View attachment 371166

View attachment 371168

But wlking takes time though. Yes if its daylight why wouldn't she walk. But maybe her van broke sown afterwards. IDK just trying to make sense of the timeline. In a newer post Jash has posted it was evening that shw was having trouble with the vehicle. Page 4 or 5 of this thread.

 

[5W's]

Hey all. I live in logan lake. Our SAR team is still out there looking. I drive that highway fairly frequently, cell service is intermittent at best with telus who shares towers with bell, and is not covered by accessible wifi. The drive from merritt to logan actually takes about 40 mins. I'd wager a bit slower for somebody who hasn't traveled it before since it is quite a windy road in places, with lots of deer to watch out for and no street lighting. A mix of forest and grassland around where I think she was.

I have to make the drive tomorrow for an appt in merritt. I'd like to see the exact location of where she went missing since there are a few properties within a couple km walking distance for help.

Her leaving keys and personal belongings obviously isn't a good sign though. Has anyone from the retreat spoken about her mental state/reason for leaving early?

IMO the yoga retreat sessions are challenging so she may not have wanted to do the routines that are stated on their website as was posted by another poster earlier in this thread. So she could have left for that reason. If it was myslef I would leave in the morning as opposed to the evening as stated on one of her missing person posters.

 

[5W's]

If JM has been abducted from the area where her vehicle was found, I have concerns about the area east of Logan Lake where there are a number of copper mining sites. In the same area, in close proximity to the mines, is the Bose public recreation area. This whole area provides many hidey holes or potential dump sites. It is close to the main road yet off the beaten path.
If she was abducted in daylight, the perpetrator would want to get off the main road asap because there are few pull offs in the area and a car stopped at the edge draws attention to it. Quite a few locals reported seeing JM filling her tank and also reported seeing the van. Things do not go unnoticed in this area.

Recreation Sites and Trails BC

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But at night they would, however.

 

[5W's]

I actually work at that mine. Its a large gated property with security. It's also hunting season here and logan lake is a popular spot. So lots of people out and about. Bose is a decently popular lake for fishing. We did have a fire rip through last year and alot of area is burned out and won't see much traffic. Look up the Tremont fire map. If you have anywhere in particular you'd like me to check out, just point me in a direction. I live in logan, have a 4x4 and a baby who likes a dirt road drive. There is ALOT of dense forest left, and many a forest road.

I was going to maybe try witchesbrook. It's the second exit when you turn left at the intersection off 97c towards the mine/ashcroft and the quickesr, most easily accessible for a non 4wd vehicle.

But then again it is also very rural. And so as you said every ten minutes cars pass by in the daytime. So I would think that not many people other than the occasional persons would frequent this rural area for activities. As for the mine you work at no doubt that it would be well lit, guarded and workers are safe. Its the areas away from the mine that are a cause for concern IMO. I would say areas miles away from the the mine you work at. So many parts of BC are so rural no one goes there even the occasional person.

 

[5W's]

I thought the timeline changed when I saw that she left the retreat in the evening. But it hasn't changed. Where did she stay after leaving the yoga retreat? So wherever she stayed she was fine until later the next day Oct.1. If she broke down say in an area where there is a pullout it could be that she was hidden from the highway although not that many cars travel anyways. The shoulders of the highway are narrow so she would have to be somewhere it was sor of off he road like a pulluout. In a pullout it would be easier for someone to take her. Either hidden by a truck or given a ride by someone unsavory who seemed helpful. Then again maybe no one drove by to see this happen and someone did take her by gunpoint/knifepoint.

 

[5W's]

One more thing I have to add is that she was not seen at her van Saturday afternoon. Perhaps that is being told by someone who went to the Canoa Farm show and noticed this. You know its possible someone took her not by vehicle but, perhaps by ATV or just walked her, because it is wooded enough. It can just take only a few minutes. So perhaps she was going to the show and parked there but her van broke down. There has to be a reason why she is there its either to see the show or its to see the view. Otherwise why would she divert from the highway.. Unfortunately that's where she ran into trouble with the van. She obviously didn't make it to the show. Its possible she was gone before people started arriving at the show.

 

[annicaelan]

Most recent update off the FB page this am.

 

[OldCop]

View attachment 371557
Most recent update off the FB page this am.

I wish we knew who reported this. Did LE provide this info to JM’s family or are there people contacting the family directly with info?
The post said that it was reported that “Jaqui may have been seen”. This indicates that it is the person not the van. The post also says that RCMP has received recent calls, (plural) of unconfirmed sightings of Jaqui.
If these sightings can be substantiated, we could be looking at more of a mental break than a possible abduction. This may be positive news, but it could mean that Jaqui is wandering around in a wilderness area in cold temperatures without food or water. It also makes one consider an accident after the fact or self harm, although we have heard no information that would indicate that she was not in a good state of mind at that time. Could she have ingested some type of hallucinatory drug that gave her the urge to wander off?

 

[OldCop]

@annicaelan, do you know if are there many dispersed camping spots in the area? I imagine JM was probably on a budget. When she decided to leave the Retreat facility, she was probably trying to decide where she could spend the night for free or very cheaply. A Google search of free camping or dispersed camping in the area of Merritt showed a campground south of the retreat center, a recommendation to park at the Walmart in town, and a closed rest area, also near the Walmart.
I wonder if RCMP picked her up on video as she went through Merritt after leaving the retreat center?
There is a Hector Creek Forest Service Rd on your right as you head towards Mamit Lake from Merritt. Folks often camp off Forest Service roads to avoid private campground fees. This road is south of Canoa Farms. I would think someone with Jaqui’s experience would be more likely to pull into a place like this to spend the night rather than park on a narrow shoulder of the main road or on private property where she may not be welcomed.
Where JM spent the night before her disappearance may have nothing to do with the reason why or how she disappeared, but in cases like this, it always helps to know the events that lead up to the person going missing.

ETA A map of the area I am referring to.

 

[MistyWaters]

I wonder if the “close friend” has been located? I hadn’t noticed it confirmed that Jacqueline went or left the yoga retreat by herself.

“Leigh said Jaqueline spent most of her time in B.C. with a close friend and was living in her outfitted van.”

Waterloo woman, Jaqueline McDermott, reported missing in B.C.

The 22-year-old hasn’t been seen or heard from since Sept. 29, Merritt RCMP said.

www.waterloochronicle.ca

 

[jash]

The recent update about her possibly being seen by the farm is interesting but I do wish they clarified if they're speaking about Friday evening (after she left the retreat). Otherwise maybe she stopped nearby for some reason on her way to the retreat (assuming she used the same highway).

We aren't allowed to discuss comments from social media (other than those from the admins of official pages) however I do recommend people take a look at what the farm wrote on the below post. It helps to narrow down the location her van was left.

Instagram

www.instagram.com

 

[otto]

According to her mother, she was last seen on the morning of October 1st putting fuel into her van from a jerry can she travelled with.

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She was last seen on the morning of October 1 putting fuel into her van.

She left the retreat the previous evening. Perhaps she slept in her van at the retreat on Sept 30, then drove to Merritt in the morning?

On the morning of October 1, somewhere between Merritt and Logan Lake, she was seen putting gas in her van. Her vehicle broke down somewhere around Mamit Lake - unsure of exact location.

 

[otto]

View attachment 371557
Most recent update off the FB page this am.

I'm catching up ... going to map this next.

"If coming from Kamloops take the Logan Lake turn off go through Logan Lake and take Hwy 97C to the left. We are 24k down from Logan Lake 9k from Mamit Lake. When you are getting close look for Steffens road on the left about a mile later we are the first driveway on the left just past the mailboxes on the right."

Location

Canoa Farms is home to one of British Columbia's largest Mountain Trail parks. We have over 50 obstacles from Water holes with waterfalls to Bridges over gullys, small bridges, moving bridges, waterboxes, narrow bridges, and other cool natural obstacles,.

canoafarms.com

 

[otto]

The recent update about her possibly being seen by the farm is interesting but I do wish they clarified if they're speaking about Friday evening (after she left the retreat). Otherwise maybe she stopped nearby for some reason on her way to the retreat (assuming she used the same highway).

We aren't allowed to discuss comments from social media (other than those from the admins of official pages) however I do recommend people take a look at what the farm wrote on the below post. It helps to narrow down the location her van was left.

Instagram

www.instagram.com

If she was seen near Canoa Farms on Sept 30, does that make the last sighting of her along the highway on the morning of Oct 1, or was the last sighting at Canoa Farms simplified to "highway between Merritt and Logan Lake" ?

 

[annicaelan]

@annicaelan, do you know if are there many dispersed camping spots in the area? I imagine JM was probably on a budget. When she decided to leave the Retreat facility, she was probably trying to decide where she could spend the night for free or very cheaply. A Google search of free camping or dispersed camping in the area of Merritt showed a campground south of the retreat center, a recommendation to park at the Walmart in town, and a closed rest area, also near the Walmart.

I wonder if RCMP picked her up on video as she went through Merritt after leaving the retreat center?

There is a Hector Creek Forest Service Rd on your right as you head towards Mamit Lake from Merritt. Folks often camp off Forest Service roads to avoid private campground fees. This road is south of Canoa Farms. I would think someone with Jaqui’s experience would be more likely to pull into a place like this to spend the night rather than park on a narrow shoulder of the main road or on private property where she may not be welcomed.

Where JM spent the night before her disappearance may have nothing to do with the reason why or how she disappeared, but in cases like this, it always helps to know the events that lead up to the person going missing.

Most of the forest roads on the right hand side coming from merritt go uphill pretty quickly. I wouldnt take a van up them.. there may be a short 20 ft area at the bottom of some but not much further.

Not much indication of where the van was exactly. Though it seems the focus is on the lake and south.

I would also like to know where the reports of her being seen are coming from. The facts involving her being around the Canoa farm show seem to be a bit inconsistent. I'd assume past the farm towards the lake?

If I was her I would have been trying to make it to the pull outs at mamit lake.

A better map view is at

Thompson Okanagan BC (TOBC)

Zoom in to see forest access roads.

 

[jash]

If she was seen near Canoa Farms on Sept 30, does that make the last sighting of her along the highway on the morning of Oct 1, or was the last sighting at Canoa Farms simplified to "highway between Merritt and Logan Lake" ?

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I was confused about their location when I used Google maps. This is what Canoa Farms says (from LOCATION):

11460 Hwy 97C, Merritt BC - DO NOT GOOGLE ADDRESS -Coming from Merritt you go about 5 minutes out of town towards Spencer Bridge, turn up Hwy 97C on the right just out of town also known as Mamit Lake road go up 8 miles or 14k you will come to a big "S" turn that says 40k right at the eight-mile road sign keep going on the highway until you see the next driveway on the right. You will see a large Turquoise rock out front. Parking for all horse trailers is in the lower field.

EDIT: sorry, I see you posted the same thing earlier. I assumed she was coming from the retreat but who knows for sure.

 

[514Caledonia]

These are the questions we need answers to so we can develop some fact based theories. I’m sure LE has the answers to most of them.
In addition to your questions, @Snoopster, I have a couple of my own:
Why did she decide to not stay for the retreat?
Where did she spend the night of 9/30-10/1?
Did she park somewhere off road and run the engine for heat that night using up excess fuel?
Sounds like quite a bit of drugs in the area. That could bring plenty of unsavory characters traveling the road between Logan Lake and Merritt. RCMP in British Columbia - Merritt RCMP take guns and drugs off the street

The timeline of her disappearance would seem to be able to be narrowed to the time between when she was seen standing by the van with the jerrycan to the time the van was found abandoned.

She had solar panels, so she would not have had to leave her van running all night.