A decade after Madison Scott's disappearance, parents continue to call for witnesses

The family of Madison Scott has renewed calls for the public's help to locate the young woman who disappeared ten years ago in central B.C. 

Scott — 20 at the time — vanished around 3 a.m. PT on May 28, 2011 after attending a birthday party with friends at Hogsback Lake, a campsite about 25 kilometres southeast of her hometown Vanderhoof, B.C.

In a video statement released by the RCMP on Friday, her parents said they continue to offer a $100,000 award for any information that will lead to the arrest of suspects responsible for Scott's disappearance.

"It's definitely really hard to believe it has been ten years since then," said father Eldon Scott in the statement.

Police said they determined early in the investigation that it was out of Scott's character not to keep in touch with her family. They suspected she went missing because of foul play. 

WATCH | Madison Scott's parents ask witnesses to come forward

"She's a wonderful, messy, creative, loving aunt [and] sister-in-law," said mother Dawn Scott in the video statement.

"Somebody knows something and someone needs to come forward... We have a recurring image of Maddy sitting somewhere waiting for us to rescue her and we haven't found her yet."

Scott's hockey teammate Theresa Philips remembers Scott as a photography enthusiast. She says she couldn't believe her friend went missing a decade ago. 

"I just thought. 'OK, she loved to take pictures'… she probably wandered off the trail somewhere to take a picture and broke her leg," Philips said Friday to Matt Allen, the guest host of CBC's Daybreak North.

Over the years Philips has been running Help Find Madison Scott, a Facebook page with information about her disappearance. 

Family and friends organize a poker ride for hikers, horse riders and all-terrain vehicles every May on the trail where Scott went missing to keep awareness of her disappearance alive. The event has been cancelled this year and last due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philips says this year they will conduct a social media campaign with the hashtag #FindMaddy from May 28‒30 to encourage sharing a poster about her.

"Until we have answers, we don't stop looking," Philips said. "It's just that simple."

Vanderhoof RCMP ask people with information about Scott's disappearance to call them at 250-567-2222. People who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a message on solvecrime.ca.

Tap the link below to hear Theresa Philips's interview on Daybreak North: 

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