This Little Girl Vanished From A Phone Booth After Last Being Seen In There With A Mysterious Man
Joanne Maria Pedersen, affectionately referred to as “Jo-Jo” by her friends and family, was known as a shy but kind child.
She grew up in Canada alongside her two sisters, and following her parents’ divorce, her mother, Angela, was granted full custody of all three girls.
They moved around often, and by 1983, 10-year-old Joanne was living in a townhouse complex located in Vedder Crossing, Chilliwack, Canada.
Yet, on February 19, 1983, she vanished from a phone booth after coming into contact with a mysterious man.
That night, Joanne, her sister, Louise, and their cousin had been walking home together. Eventually, Joanne and Louise got into an argument, and Louise and their cousin ran home before her.
Joanne got locked out of her house by her sister and had no way inside. Her mother and stepfather had been attending a birthday party. It was raining that evening as well, and Joanne didn’t want to wait outside.
She ultimately walked to a Penny Pinchers that used to be located near Vedder and Watson Roads in Sardis, staying inside the store for a short while before heading outside at 8:20 p.m. to call her mother from a payphone.
According to the police, Joanne contacted the operator and asked to be connected with her parents. But she wasn’t alone, as witnesses spotted a man inside the phone booth with her.
He reportedly looked to be between 20 and 30-years-old, was slim, and stood between five foot six and five foot seven. Witnesses claimed he had a mustache and was wearing a dark leather jacket.
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When Joanne was connected with her mother, Angela, she asked to be picked up. At that point, the man got on the phone and spoke to Angela.
“A man, that same man with her, came on the phone and said, ‘You’d better get here within half an hour, or I’m phoning the police,” and I was there between 15 and 20 minutes,” she recalled.
However, when Angela arrived, Joanne was nowhere to be found and was subsequently reported missing.
The Chilliwack Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) conducted extensive searches of the area with the help of officers, volunteers, and canines. No clues as to Joanne’s whereabouts were uncovered.
And despite some witnesses seeing a man in the phone booth with Joanne that evening, apparently, no one saw them leave.
A couple of weeks later, on March 5, 1983, Joanne’s grandmother, Mary Riley, received a shocking phone call. She reportedly picked up the phone, and a male voice said, “Listen to this.” Afterward, she could hear the sound of a child crying.
What’s puzzling is the fact that Mary’s number had been unlisted at the time. Joanne, though, knew her grandmother’s phone number. This led the police to believe that Joanne may still be alive.
“There is no doubt in my mind that it was the child. I’m convinced she’s alive,” Sergeant David Ayres stated.
Nonetheless, authorities weren’t able to trace the call or identify the caller. So, following all possible efforts being made early in the investigation, the search for Joanne was called off.
A spokesperson for RCMP detailed how authorities scoured “everywhere possible” on foot, using dogs and aircraft, and even in the river. No evidence was found, and community members were encouraged to come forward with any information.
“We’re also asking the public to search their barns, garages, and backyards. We’re covering all bases because it’s such a great area, and we really don’t know where to search other than where she was last seen,” Sergeant Ayres explained at the time.
It wasn’t until years later, in 2008 and 2011, that possible new clues came to light in Joanne’s case. Two anonymous letters were sent to the Chilliwack RCMP during those years, and they both claimed to have information related to Joanne’s disappearance.
Authorities weren’t sure if the same person had penned both letters. Regardless, certain details within the 2011 letter were of particular interest, and a portion of it was released to the public. Investigators hoped someone would recognize the sender’s handwriting and come forward.
“There are certain details, I guess, in the letter that only this person would know,” said Corporal Tammy Hollingsworth.
Then, just days before the fortieth anniversary of Joanne’s disappearance, authorities announced that they’d finally identified the man in the phone booth. To the public’s surprise, he wasn’t named a suspect.
“Recently, police were able to identify this male and rule him out as a suspect. His identity will not be shared with the public at this time,” read a 2023 statement from the RCMP.
For community members, it remains unclear how investigators were able to identify and conclusively rule the man out as a suspect after so many years. No additional strides have been made in Joanne’s case, either, but the Chilliwack RCMP confirmed the investigation has not stopped.
“This is still an active investigation, and any tips received from the public are being followed up on by investigators,” stated Corporal Carmen Kiener.
Most recently, on May 28, Joanne’s case was shared on Facebook by BC Crime Stoppers to reignite awareness and urge anyone with knowledge related to her case to come forward.
“It may be that a situation that stopped you from coming forward in the past has since changed, and now is your opportunity to speak out. Your information could help bring closure for [the] families of the missing,” the post reads.
Joanne was four foot six, weighed 84 pounds, and had light brown hair and brown eyes at the time she vanished. She was last seen wearing tan capri pants, a yellow T-shirt, a blue sweater, and a pink sleeveless jacket.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at (604) 792-4611 or Crime Stoppers at 1(800) 222-8477.
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