Loved ones of Sherry Corrigal gathered at Lions Pavillion at Maffeo Sutton Park for a mid-day advocacy event on Sunday, March 4. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

mounting urgency

‘I want her back:’ loved ones plead for safe return of missing Nanaimo woman

Mar 3, 2024 | 2:37 PM

NANAIMO — A gathering in downtown Nanaimo aimed to shed light on the case of a missing 22-year-old woman who wasn’t been heard from in six months.

Sherry Corrigal, last in contact with family in early September, was reported missing to Nanaimo RCMP on November, 9.

Samantha Agnew, Corrigal’s most recent foster mom, had tears in her eyes describing the pain she’s in.

“I just want her to be okay and to let us know she’s okay and to let her know that if she needs help there’s help. I’m here, call me, I’m a phone call away. “I love her and miss her and I want her back.” Agnew said during an awareness event on Sunday, March 3 at Maffeo Sutton Park.

Agnew said Corrigal is a selfless person who cares deeply about others, whose also been taken advantage of in the past, including from intimate partners.

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“She was always very thoughtful of other people, if she saw other people in trouble she would always insert herself, she would never worry about herself, and now it’s her in trouble.”

Sherry Corrigal has been missing since September. Family members report she had a traumatic childhood and her addiction issues increased at about 19-years-old. (Submitted photo)

Agnew said Corrigal signaled a genuine interest last summer to reverse a spiraling lifestyle of addiction and homelessness and had planned to attend a formal addiction treatment program.

“I had deep conversations with her about that and she said ‘I need to clean up.’ I said ‘I will help you, I will walk that walk with you.’”

Agnew said Corrigal’s social media accounts have been inactive for months.

Agnew’s son, Chad Cotton-Agnew, has Known Corrigal for a decade.

The pair dated in high school and remain friends.

Cotton-Agnew said it’s highly unusual for Corrigal not to be in contact with him and others in her support network.

“It’ been stressful not knowing what’s going on, she’s not usually like this. Its been rough,” he said.

Corrigal (L) was close friends with Makayla Chang (R). Chang was murdered in Nanaimo in 2017 (Submitted photo)

Jami Easterbrook is a leading voice in fighting for Corrigal’s safe return.

She was Corrigal’s foster mom during Sherry’s teenage years in Nanaimo.

Easterbrook praised the work of Nanaimo RCMP on the case categorized as a priority investigation.

“They’ve been very good with it, They’ve spent a lot of time on the file. I was talking to the police at 9:30 last night because I’m finding out different bits of information,” Easterbrook said.

She and other volunteers have posted hundreds of missing posters around Nanaimo.

“If she’s not okay, I just want to know, I just don’t want this to turn into another Lisa Marie Young. I don’t want 20 years down the road me still driving around looking for Sherry, I want to know where she is.”

Anybody with information on Corrigal’s disappearance or current location is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.

Jami Easterbrook speaks to reporters on Sunday, March 3. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo RCMP stated in November that this was a fairly recent picture of Sherry Corrigal (Nanaimo RCMP)

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes