Holly Ellsworth-Clark's family back in Hamilton, offering rewards to find missing daughter
The family is willing to give thousands of dollars to those with credible knowledge of Holly's location
Holly Ellsworth-Clark's parents have returned to Hamilton to resume their search to find their daughter, who has been missing for 142 days.
The family came from Calgary last week and were joined by Elle McFearsin, Holly's boss and one of the leaders of the earlier search efforts.
"Unfortunately with COVID, coming back [sooner] was not an option with borders closed," McFearsin said.
"It was heartbreaking to have to stay in Calgary when this is where we felt we needed to be."
Holly went missing on Jan. 11 after leaving her home "distraught" and in the middle of a rainstorm, leaving most of her possessions behind.
Her family arrived the next day, marching throughout the city looking for Holly and any video footage of her walking. They rallied hundreds to mobilize and conduct ground searches for Holly.
Her family found multiple unconfirmed pieces of surveillance footage that they believe may have been her. They even mapped out the path they think she walked. But none of it got them closer to the truth. They headed back to Calgary in March to rest.
Searching for someone during COVID-19
Since then a lot has changed. For one, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept across Hamilton, overshadowing most other situations, like Holly's disappearance, and emptying streets.
While fewer eyes were out scanning for Holly, her father said the pandemic eased the search.
"Elle was in touch with people [in Hamilton] and they were more aware of their immediate surroundings," Dave Clark explained.
McFearsin adds they still have roughly 50 people ready to search for Holly at any given moment and that a group of women spent the early morning hours on Monday looking for her.
The family has also created new posters for Holly and are offering financial rewards for information about her disappearance. The rewards will vary based on the information, but the family is willing to give thousands of dollars to those with useful, credible knowledge of her whereabouts.
'We want to know the truth'
Holly's family still receives daily tips from people who think they spotted her, but with nothing confirmed, police have not updated the case.
The last verified sighting of Holly is from the day she went missing.
WATCH | The last confirmed sighting of Holly Ellsworth-Clark
Hamilton police say security footage shows her walking northbound on Wentworth Street toward Shaw Street on Jan. 11 at 4:50 p.m. In the video, she was wearing what appeared to be a rain poncho with black pants and black boots, while carrying a black garbage bag that seemed full.
When she disappeared, her family believes Holly was "terrified." Police say she was "in crisis" when she went missing, also noting she wasn't dressed for the weather.
Her family revealed earlier that she left a heart-breaking voicemail before she went missing, begging to return home to Calgary.
WATCH | The last voicemail Holly Ellsworth-Clark left her family
Why she left, what she took with her and where she went are all unanswered questions in this case — and they have been since Day One.
Still, the search has spawned massive efforts from within and beyond the city, including hanging up posters and renting billboards across the country with her face and name.
All of it has been fruitless and with that, the family must consider the worst case scenario.
"If Holly is not alive, we believe she would have passed away in Hamilton," McFearsin said. "We would really love closure in whatever form that takes, if she's alive, which is much preferred we would like to know and if not, we still want to know."
"We want to know the truth," Dave said.
Holly, 27, is 6'1 and 200-pounds.
The Newfoundland-born, Calgary-raised woman moved to Hamilton in October 2019 to pursue music.
She is a champion amateur wrestler and political science grad from the University of Calgary.
Anyone with information can call the police at 905-546-3816.
The family is also accepting tips at [email protected].
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