CANADA Canada - Ronald "Ron" Yakimchuk, 27, & Theresa "Terry" (Pettit) Yakimchuk, 23, last known stop in Dryden ON, 12 June 1973

[TheArtfulDetective]

Bumping. Anniversary of disappearance.

 

[tarabull]

It's been 50 years since a couple left for a wedding in Ontario and disappeared

This June will mark 50 years since an Edmonton couple left the city for a wedding in Ontario and were never heard from again. Ronald and Theresa Ya...

www.blogto.com

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

A mystery unsolved: Former Journal writer remembers colleagues who vanished 50 years ago​

Rod Mickleburgh
Published Jun 29, 2023

"The mystery of their disappearance remains as perplexing today as it was when we first began to worry about their whereabouts later that summer."

A mystery unsolved: Former Journal writer remembers colleagues who vanished 50 years ago

Fifty years ago this June, good friends Terry Pettit and Ronald Yakimchuk packed belongings into the back seat of a beat-up, 1959 Volkswagen

edmontonjournal.com

 

[ChantyG]

This John Doe has some striking similarities! The TikTok is under the profile @thedoeproject

 

[ChantyG]

A mystery unsolved: Former Journal writer remembers colleagues who vanished 50 years ago​

Rod Mickleburgh
Published Jun 29, 2023

"The mystery of their disappearance remains as perplexing today as it was when we first began to worry about their whereabouts later that summer."

A mystery unsolved: Former Journal writer remembers colleagues who vanished 50 years ago

Fifty years ago this June, good friends Terry Pettit and Ronald Yakimchuk packed belongings into the back seat of a beat-up, 1959 Volkswagen

edmontonjournal.com

I’m not great on this forum. I just saw a TikTok of a John Doe who has striking similarities. I posted a comment here with screen grabs.

 

[madamx]

From the archives: Vanishing point — the mysterious disappearance of Edmonton journalists Terry Pettit and Ron Yakimchuk

In June 1973, an Edmonton couple set out in their battered Volkswagen for a wedding in Montreal. They never arrived. A postcard with a one-word message was their last contact with loved ones who are still haunted by the disappearance.

edmontonjournal.com

 

[madamx]

DNA could crack 45-year-old cold case of Edmonton missing couple

If DNA evidence related to an Edmonton couple who seemingly vanished 45 years ago en route to Eastern Canada is ever discovered, that may crack the case, say…

edmontonjournal.com

 

[Raging Ranter]

The route through northern Ontario is full of lakes. The highway is never straight - constant twists and turns. My guess is the car left the road, ended up in a lake, sunk to the bottom, and remains there still. Though it seems odd that none of their belongings ever surfaced. However, some belongings may have surfaced after a time, but whoever found them did not realize the significance.

 

[doublestop]

The route through northern Ontario is full of lakes. The highway is never straight - constant twists and turns. My guess is the car left the road, ended up in a lake, sunk to the bottom, and remains there still.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Unfortunately because there are so many lakes they'll probably only be found accidentally, if at all.

 

[Raging Ranter]

My wife and I drove from Ottawa to Winnipeg & back in July of last year. There is nothing but lakes, rivers, forest and rock for nearly the entirety of the 2000 km (1200 mile) drive. I bet there are many points along the way where, under the right circumstances, a car could leave the road and just never be found.

 

[OddOneOut]

I can't find more recent news. However, I was reading an article about a car and remains recently found after 10 years. The person that found them was searching for them with a drone, spotted a car in a pond, and got permission from the property owner to search the pond.

We know this couple made it as far as Dryden. I doubt they would have driven another 20 plus hours to Montreal without contacting someone. I wish we had some volunteer drone operators in Dryden and east from there to search some ravines or bodies of water near the road. I realize it would be a huge undertaking. It would take a long time to do it probably years. However, if just the area from Dryden east to where their next stop would probably be, they might be found or part of the route eliminated.

 

[Nate_Bro]

Imagine a story where they somehow ended up in the US?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[John/Jane Doe]

3615DMAB - Ronald Paul Yakimchuk

2461DFAB - Theresa Anne Pettit

 

[John/Jane Doe]

3615DMAB - Ronald Paul Yakimchuk

2461DFAB - Theresa Anne Pettit

 

[annpats]

Some observations:

They both look older than 27 and 23 years old.

If they left Edmonton, Alberta on the 9th June, they did well to reach Dryden in Ontario on the 12th June.
The road distance is 1663km. So they were travelling at 554km per day, in a 14 year old VW Beetle.

They must've been tired. They were travelling in the summer, so we're probably hot as well (a 1959 Beetle doesn't have air conditioning).....and it also has drum brakes front and rear, so it wouldn't have been very quick to stop.

I wondered if they swerved to avoid a moose in the road and ended up in one of the many, many lakes.
It's so rural out there, and frozen for nearly half the year, if anyone does find them, it'll be by accident/luck.

 

[annpats]

There is an older thread already on WS.

CANADA - Canada - Ron Yakimchuk, 27, & Terry Pettit, 23, Dryden ON, 12 June 1973

Can you tell I like to post the older Canadian cases? http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3615dmab.html The Doe Network: Case File 3615DMAB Ron Yakimchuk Missing since June 12, 1973 from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Classification: Missing Vital Statistics * Date Of Birth: March...

www.websleuths.com

@Sillybilly

Can these 2 threads be merged?

 

[Markybug]

Missing person/s and car is almost always an accident? So presumably they are in a lake somewhere

 

[OddOneOut]

There is an older thread already on WS.

CANADA - Canada - Ron Yakimchuk, 27, & Terry Pettit, 23, Dryden ON, 12 June 1973

Can you tell I like to post the older Canadian cases? http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3615dmab.html The Doe Network: Case File 3615DMAB Ron Yakimchuk Missing since June 12, 1973 from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Classification: Missing Vital Statistics * Date Of Birth: March...

www.websleuths.com

@Sillybilly

Can these 2 threads be merged?

Thank you, I was looking for this older thread and couldn't find it.

I wish the article that mentioned a "reasonably credible" sighting in Parry Sound had more specifics. That would really narrow down the possible location of where they went missing as it appears to be much closer to where they were headed.

 

[OddOneOut]

If the "reasonably credible" sighting near Parry Sound is correct, it would mean they made it most of the way to their destination and stayed in Canada. If it was in July, it could mean they had a previous breakdown. Them not calling family could be explained if it happened in a more remote area with no phone available. This was before cells phones and not everyone in more rural areas had a phone.

 

[OddOneOut]

If the "reasonably credible" sighting near Parry Sound is correct, it would mean they made it most of the way to their destination and stayed in Canada. If it was in July, it could mean they had a previous breakdown. Them not calling family could be explained if it happened in a more remote area with no phone available. This was before cell phones and not everyone in more rural areas had a phone.