SASKATOON — One thousand four hundred and fifty-nine days. That is how long the family and friends of Ashley Morin have been suffering and looking for answers since she disappeared on July 10, 2018, in the North Battleford area.
Family and friends gathered Thursday morning, July 7, in front of the Saskatoon Police Service to once again appeal to any person in the community who has information about Morin’s disappearance to speak up.
They are desperate to bring Morin home to her family and loved ones. They are offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who could give them information on what happened to her since the day of her disappearance.
Shawna Spyglass, Morin’s god-sister and cousin, read a statement asking why she was taken from them and her whereabouts, questions that they want to get answers to as they prepare to do another awareness walk from Saskatoon to the Battlefords starting Friday, July 8.
“If she was your daughter, sister or niece, could or would you be able to bear the constant pain. She is a shining star with the warmest big smile and heart. And you took her from us. The silence is killing us. Ashley was not yours to take and she’s not yours to keep,” said Spyglass.
“Our family is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone with information that will bring Ashley home to us. We all want her home. Please, we beg of you, let us have our Ashley back where she’s loved and missed dearly.”
She added that their family hardly celebrates any gatherings or holidays since Morin’s disappearance they were still hurting, because a huge piece of their family is missing and they know that she’s still out there.
“We’re looking and searching for her. We haven’t lost hope. We are never giving up. There are people out there that have information. There are people out there that have details. There are people out there that know what has happened,” said Spyglass.
Mike Bird also appealed to anyone who has information on what happened to his cousin and her whereabouts to break their silence and call Crime Stoppers or the Major Crimes Unit of the Saskatoon Police Service.
“As a family, we’re still hurting and we still want answers. Somebody knows something and we ask that someone come forward, please come forward. [Ashley] needs to come home. It has been four long years. Every day she’s in our minds. Every day we pray that someone comes forward with information to bring her home,” said Bird.
Dorthea Swiftwolfe, the Saskatoon Police Services’ missing person liaison officer and victim services co-ordinator, said in a statement the family will continue to do everything to bring Morin home.
“Our family will be walking again from Saskatoon to North Battleford. We, as a family and friends, will walk 135 kilometres for three days to raise awareness that our Ashley is still missing. She is missed dearly by her family and friends,” said Swiftwolfe.
“We will continue to do everything we can to bring our Ashley home. Whatever that may look like. We just want our Ashley home with her family, where she belongs. The silence is killing us. Someone who knows something please speak up.”
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Second Vice Chief Edward “Dutch” Lerat said the 74-member nations stand in solidarity with the Morin family as they also want answers for all Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“We are appalled by the number of missing and murdered women here in the province. We are here to ensure that this wonderful family knows that we are standing beside them in their quest for not only answers but to find their missing loved one,” said Lerat.
“The [FSIN] Women’s Commission created the declaration to honour Indigenous women and girls. They are working to see this declaration be adopted at both the provincial and federal levels. Our work continues to ensure the commitment to the challenge and change the disproportionately high number of violence faced by our women.”
