An Abbotsford woman’s disappearance has prompted her family to offer a reward for information that leads to her discovery.
Deborah Ann (Debbie) Hycha has been missing since May 10, when she was last seen in Abbotsford. The 52-year-old woman was in regular contact with her family, who live in Smithers, but the phone calls, emails and text messages suddenly stopped in mid-May, with no contact with her mother Claudette on Mother’s Day or anytime since. She had never previously gone more than three weeks without contacting her sister or parents.
The last time Debbie spoke to her mother, “she sounded happy, normal and there was nothing out of order,” Claudette said during a news conference Thursday morning.
That, her family and police say, is very much out of the ordinary for Hycha, who loved to make crafts and artworks for family and friends and was described as “a creative genius” by her sister Darlene.
The family is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her “location or discovery.”
“Maybe somebody has a clue, even if it seems insignificant, maybe it will be a good lead,” Claudette said.
“Somebody out there has to know something,” Her sister Charlene added. “Please step forward. There is money on the table for you.”
Hycha had lived in Abbotsford for around five years, and prior to that resided in Mission.
The family reported her missing in June, but Hycha has yet to be located.
Const. Ian MacDonald said it’s very rare for one of the 600 missing person reports received by police to make it to the point where a public appeal is needed.
But police and the family are convinced that someone has important information – possibly that they may not even think is vital to the case.
After her last know interaction, with an APD officer in the area of Marshall Road and Abbotsford Way, Hycha “probably had other contacts with people who knew her and didn’t know a few weeks later she’d be reported missing,” MacDonald said.
Hycha is five-foot-six, 130 pounds with long brown hair and blue yes. She is known to frequent downtown Abbotsford.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 604-859-5225, or text 222973 (abbypd).
The family of Debbie Hycha is appealing for information about her whereabouts. pic.twitter.com/gz7P1knFUT
— Tyler Olsen (@ty_olsen) September 7, 2017
