A DNA databank for missing people could bring closure to countless unsolved cases in Canada, if only the government would turn it into law, says the mother of a missing 91原创 Island girl.
Judy Peterson's daughter, Lindsey Nicholls, disappeared from the Comox Valley 15 years ago and has never been found.
In the worst-case scenario, her remains are lying in a morgue somewhere in Canada, unclaimed and labelled Jane Doe because of the lack of a national missing persons' DNA databank.
It's a scenario Peterson has been lobbying the federal government for years to prevent. With a national database, families of missing people could volunteer to donate their DNA, which would be checked against the missing-persons index and also through the existing Crime Scene Index.
"It's not like I made it up," Peterson said of the idea. "It's part of the software developed years ago and given to us by the FBI.
"It's frustrating its not happening," she added. "I'm frustrated when I see some of the government programs and what those guys are spending money on. Not only that, it will help solve crimes as well because Lindsey's DNA could be in the crime scene database and what if that guy can be convicted of murder?"
Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Gary Lunn took up her cause in 2003 with a private member's bill to amend the existing DNA Identification Act. It ultimately failed to get enough support. Lunn helped push it forward again in 2006, but Bill C-279, as its called, only made it as far as the Public Safety and National Security Committee.
In 2007, the committee recommended the government introduce the idea as its own bill, but that has yet to happen and the file sits with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, said Peterson. "Public Safety Canada continues to be involved in the work relating to a Missing Persons Index and will continue to work closely with our provincial and territorial partners on this matter," said spokesman David Charbonneau.
With the current federal election campaign, the bill's future is even more uncertain because the government and its priorities could change. But Peterson, who now lives in Sidney, said she'll keep lobbying during the election.
"We have broad support, I think everybody thinks it's a good idea," said Peterson. "They just have to do it."
Peterson said she's been able to push the issue forward through intense lobbying, such as the time three or four years ago when she crashed a Victoria appearance by Conservative MP Peter MacKay and convinced him, along with Lunn, to formally put the issue into the Conservative party policy document, she said.
"Working on this type of thing makes me feel like I'm still doing something to find her," said Peterson.
RCMP have said there are no leads in the case and are still appealing for public help. Earlier this month, Mounties released a computer-enhanced photo of what Nicholls would look like today, at 30 years old. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Peterson runs a website at www.lindseyslaw.com.
