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 Alex Rawnsley

sherry corrigal

Family & friends conducting major search for missing Nanaimo woman

Jul 27, 2024 | 7:02 AM

NANAIMO — A large and coordinated search effort will set off Saturday in a bid to find a missing local woman.

Sherry Corrigal was last Sept. 11, 2023, in downtown Nanaimo and formally reported missing in early November. Those close to her including one of her foster mothers, Jami Easterbrook, believe she’s met foul play.

Easterbrook said the search effort on Saturday, July 27, starting near the Mountaire Campground on Spruston Rd., west of Nanaimo Airport, came about through informal tips and rumour from the public.

“This is the first time we’ve really had a place to start to search for her. We’ve been given some information from several different people and we thought we would start trying to do a search. Nanaimo is huge and there’s lots of areas where anyone could be hidden.”

Between 70 to 100 people are expected to attend the search, getting underway around 9 a.m.

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A cadaver dog team from the Victoria region is also expected to attend, along with Nanaimo RCMP officers.

Easterbrook said while she believes Corrigal, who was 22 when she disappeared, is no longer alive, her driving motivator is to bring her home and lay her to rest properly.

“I just want to have her properly buried, I don’t want her out there alone. I want her buried with dignity, she doesn’t deserve to be lying out there in the bushes all by herself.”

A rally was held at Maffeo Sutton Park in March, raising awareness to Corrigal’s disappearance and organized by several close to her.

Easterbrook, who became Corrigal’s foster mom when Corrigal was 13, described her as “sweet, funny and very cheeky”.

She admitted the final few months of Corrigal’s life prior to her disappearance were “pretty rough” with reported drug use and connections to “pretty unsavoury people”, according to Easterbrook.

“At the end of this she’s a person and she doesn’t deserve what happened to her, she deserves to be found and buried with some respect and dignity.

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)

A formal police investigation into Corrigal’s disappearance continues, led by the Nanaimo RCMP detachment.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said the police continue reviewing information as it comes in.

“We’re at the stage now where a lot of searches have done, we’ve been interviewing witnesses, reviewing CCTV cameras. Her missing is totally out of character, we consider it suspicious and very troubling.”

O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW a handful of RCMP members will be on hand Saturday to provide support if needed, but police are not leading the search efforts.

He added details about the case being published to social media can make things more challenging for investigators, and those with what they believe to be credible information should contact police.

“Speculation, conjecture, rumours, that’s all they are [when posted to social media]. If they have information, they need to report it to the police so we can follow up on it.”

Those wanting to help in the search for Corrigal are asked to sign in on Saturday morning, and sign out before leaving to ensure organizers can keep track of who is assisting in the efforts, and their safety.

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