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91ƵAny parent91Ƶs worst nightmare91Ƶ: A search for answers in B.C. cold case

Volunteer investigator seeking information about the 2007 disappearance of Jeff Surtel from Mission
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Jeff Surtel was 17 years old when he went missing from Mission in 2007. An aged-up rendering (right) shows what Surtel could look like now. /Submitted Photo

In April 2007, 17-year-old Jeff Surtel left his home in Mission at midnight on a bicycle and hasn91Ƶt been seen since.

Over 16 years later, his family is still searching for answers.

Gary and Dawn Surtel, Jeff91Ƶs parents, say until they find out what happened and get closure, the pain will never end for them.

91ƵIt91Ƶs probably any parent91Ƶs worst nightmare basically. It doesn91Ƶt get any worse,91Ƶ Gary said.

Gary and Dawn reached out to Please Bring Me Home to help find new leads in a case that has gone cold.

Please Bring Me Home was founded in 2018 with the aim of soliciting anonymous tips regarding cold missing person cases across Canada.

91ƵAny time we can get Jeff out there in public91Ƶs thoughts again, it91Ƶs a good thing. Maybe someone is holding back on some information and due to passage of time, maybe they91Ƶre willing to bring information forward now,91Ƶ Gary said.

Jeff is described as 691Ƶ1 with brown hair and eyes and several moles on the left side of his cheek. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing dark blue jeans, a navy blue t-shirt, a navy hoodie and black runners.

His bike is described as a blue CCM mountain bike with yellow front forks.

For Angela Heino, Surtel91Ƶs disappearance is her first case as a volunteer investigator with Please Bring Me Home.

Heino91Ƶs background is in nursing and education. She currently works as a nursing teacher at BCIT but has built a background in forensics over the years.

She91Ƶs passionate about the work and says she91Ƶs honoured to be able to help in any way she can.

91ƵI91Ƶm drawn to the case because it is so complex, I think. Jeff disappeared in April of 2007 and there91Ƶs been really 91Ƶnothing that substantial to indicate what happened to him. Both he and his bicycle that he was riding at the time have not been located,91Ƶ Heino said.

She was assigned the case by the Please Bring Me Home leadership team.

Heino has reviewed all of the available information 91Ƶ including the intake interviews 91Ƶ but also anything that91Ƶs publicly available. She says volunteer investigators work collaboratively with law enforcement whenever possible because the goal is strictly fact-finding.

91ƵOur purpose is to find information or uncover information that could help move the case forward and bring some answers,91Ƶ she said.

As she takes on the case, Heino is exploring all avenues. She has spoken with anyone willing about information they may know about the situation or the context that led to his disappearance.

Heino says the family is hoping for some information that could help the case progress forward, and bring some much-needed answers in what has been a painful situation.

91ƵThey91Ƶve been very kind. They have been helpful and as a parent myself, I can imagine few situations more excruciating than not knowing where your child is,91Ƶ Heino said.

Heino always feels humbled when speaking with the family. She says she91Ƶs trying to understand the situation from their perspective and find out more about Jeff as a person.

91ƵIt91Ƶs not an easy process, but it91Ƶs such an important one,91Ƶ Heino said.

She made the trip Mission to familiarize herself with the geography of the area and made connections both intentionally and unintentionally.

91ƵAny kind of little piece of information can be significant and so, really investigation is about the connection that you make with people and then the conversations that you have,91Ƶ she said.

As a new investigator, Heino says it can be challenging to know how much to push or be patient. The amount of time that has elapsed since Jeff91Ƶs disappearance is also a hurdle.

91ƵSometimes the memory that people have fade over time,91Ƶ Heino said. 91ƵSometimes it91Ƶs difficult to remember some of the unique standout pieces of information that, when something occurs much more recently, are easier to retrieve and recall. But when this much time has elapsed, it becomes difficult for anyone who might know or determination to remember.91Ƶ

The lack of information about what happened to Jeff after he was last seen leaving with his bicycle also makes the investigation more complex.

91ƵI think there91Ƶs just so many potential scenarios of what might have occurred but no clear sense of 91Ƶcurrently, from my perspective91Ƶ what actually happened. And that91Ƶs what we91Ƶre hoping to try to understand and get information on,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵThat is so puzzling me because one would have hoped that there would have been some trace or some evidence that pointed us to one particular scenario or another.91Ƶ

The Surtels say there have been extensive searches of the Fraser River and a sonar search underneath the Mission Bridge.

91ƵThe fact that his body has never been found is a positive thing. Until that happens, we91Ƶre considering him to be alive and out there,91Ƶ Gary said.

Jeff Surtel91Ƶs disappearance remains an open and active Mission RCMP investigation.

91ƵI91Ƶve done everything that I can possibly think of searching for Jeff. I91Ƶm at a loss as to what more I could do or could have done. All we can really hope for is someone to come forward,91Ƶ Gary said. 91ƵSomebody must know what happened to him 91Ƶ if he91Ƶs still around. Someone knows.91Ƶ

Please Bring Me Home will continue with the investigation for as long as they need to move the case forward.



Dillon White

About the Author: Dillon White

I joined the Mission Record in November of 2022 after moving to B.C. from Nova Scotia earlier in the year.
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