Provincial Police have released an unsolved disappearance documentary featuring never-before-seen evidence in 1988 disappearance of Lois Hanna in Kincardine.
Police say Hanna vanished in Kincardine on a hot July long weekend 38 years ago.
As part of the OPP’s Unsolved video series, they have released a new documentary, Vanished Lois Hanna: Unsolved.
Hanna was last seen at about 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, 1988, in Lucknow.
She said goodbye to her brother, Dave Hanna, at the homecoming dance and he watched her walk away. It was an ordinary moment he would replay for decades, never imagining it would be the last time he would ever see her. A missing persons report was filed with the then-operational Kincardine Police the following day after Lois did not report for work.
Co-worker Christine Szekely went to check for Hanna at her home and found an eerie scene when she entered her friend’s house. The lights were on, the TV was playing, Lois’s clothes from the night before were put away, her purse and keys were untouched and there was a fresh cup of tea on the kitchen counter by the side door, where two drops of blood were later located on the wall. The house was locked and her car was parked in the driveway. Everything was in its place, but there was no Lois.
“The bathroom window was opened a tiny bit, so I was able to fit through that window and enter her house. When my feet hit the tub, I was immediately overcome with a sense of dread. I knew something was wrong,” says Szekely, speaking publicly for the first time.
On Wednesday, July 6, 1988, the OPP were asked to assist in the investigation. Despite hundreds of interviews and exhaustive searches that covered hundreds of acres by land, water and air, Lois has not been found.
Lois was 25 years old when she went missing.
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Police say she did not lead a high-risk lifestyle. Her brothers fondly describe Lois as kind, fun to be around with a wicked sense of humour.
In 1996, six detectives were assigned to re‑examine the case, and the following year it was announced at a press conference that advancements in DNA technology had produced a male profile from two drops of blood.
The new OPP video features new first-hand accounts from Lois’s four brothers, the co-worker who entered her home after Lois vanished, one of the initial OPP detectives on the case and a recently assigned dedicated detective who is reviewing the entire case and has conducted 45 new interviews and two new polygraphs.
It also includes never-before-released evidence. On the night Lois went missing, a vehicle was seen parked outside of Lois’s house at approximately 3:00 a.m. Notably, the vehicle had round headlights. Since vehicles in the mid 1980s featured square headlights, this suggests the vehicle was likely an older model from the 1970s.
Additionally, that same night, OPP say a credible witness heard suspicious voices and activity at the Kincardine harbour.
OPP are hopeful that with the release of their video with new eye-witness reports and further advancements in DNA technology, information will come to light that could help solve Hanna’s case.
The Province of Ontario is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the location of Lois Hanna.
The South Bruce OPP Crime Unit continues the investigation, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). Anyone with information is urged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
Detective Inspector Phil Hordijk, Major Case Manager, Criminal Investigations Branch says, “The OPP is committed to investigating the disappearance of Lois Hanna. We have dedicated resources to this case, and with continued advancements in DNA, we remain hopeful that we will learn what happened to Lois. Thirty-eight years is a long time. We urge anyone with information to please come forward.”
Additionally, a locally founded organization that looks for missing people called Please Bring Me Home has conducted numerous searches for Hanna. You can find more about their efforts here: https://pleasebringmehome.com/canada/lois-hanna/