CANADA Canada - Verna Bjerky, 16, Yale, BC, 2 May 1981

[TheArtfulDetective]

Verna Susan Bjerky



Case Classification: Missing - endangered
Missing Since: May 2, 1981
Location Last Seen: Yale, British Columbia, Canada

Physical Description:
Date of Birth: May 12, 1964
Age: 16 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: BlondeEye Color: Hazel
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Prominent gap between top front teeth.
Identifiers: Unknown
Clothing & Personal Items: Wears glasses.

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Bjerky disappeared after leaving a friend's residence in Hope, British Columbia, on May 2, 1981. She was last seen hitch-hiking to Kamloops, British Columbia where her boyfriend resided but she never arrived. She has never been seen or heard from since.

Five months after Bjerky's disappearance, some of her belongings were found a short distance outside of Hope, along Highway 7. Police suspect she may be a victim of convicted serial killer Clifford Olson. Despite extensive searches, Bjerky was never located.

Investigators:

1. Chilliwack RCMP
   604-792-4611
   
   
2. Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at Canadian Crime Stoppers Association
   
   
3. Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at: [email protected]

The Doe Network: Case File 3070DFBC
Police find missing girl's property - UPI Archives

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Remembering Verna: Loss felt through the generations
Thirty years after the disappearance of Verna Susan Bjerky the precocious teen's life was celebrated, her spirit set free, her community and family helped to heal.

• May. 21, 2011

Verna Bjerky was a bright and beautiful almost 17-year-old when she went missing on May 2, 1981.

Her mom, Clare Chrane knew something was wrong, but back then it was hard to convince police, at first, that Verna was not just another runaway. Thirty years later they are all still painstakingly looking for answers.

On the day she disappeared Verna was hitchhiking from Hope to Kamloops to see her boyfriend who worked on the CPR. She would have travelled right past her family home in Yale. “But she didn’t make it even that far,” says sister Irene, who organized a memorial service on May 12, 2011 in her sister’s honour.

Continue reading: Remembering Verna: Loss felt through the generations - Hope Standard