In the late spring of 2007, a family's life was forever altered by the disappearance of a teenage boy. Fourteen-year-old Lucas James Degerness, also known as Luke, was last seen in Prince George, British Columbia, on June 7, 2007. That day, Lucas and his mother, Gina, had a meeting with the vice-principal at Prince George Secondary School to discuss his academic struggles. Following the meeting, Lucas was supposed to go back to class, but he never did.
Instead of going home, he spent the night at a friend's house. The following morning, he was gone, seemingly without a trace. His family had moved to Prince George from Edmonton, Alberta, just a couple of months prior, in hopes of providing him with a fresh start away from negative influences.
The search for Lucas began almost immediately, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police launching an extensive investigation, which included searching the Hudson Bay Slough area. Despite their efforts and numerous tips over the years, no concrete leads have emerged to explain his disappearance. There have been unconfirmed sightings of him, including some in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, which his mother has visited in her tireless search for answers. A significant and perplexing development in the case came in 2014 when a male identifying himself as Lucas called the MissingKids.ca hotline. The caller used personal details that suggested authenticity, providing a glimmer of hope to his family and investigators. However, due to privacy policies, the operator could not disclose his mother's contact information, and the call could not be traced. It remains uncertain if the caller was indeed Lucas.
Lucas's mother, Gina Degerness, has remained a steadfast advocate for her son, never giving up hope of finding him. Each year on his birthday, she has organized candlelight vigils to keep his memory alive in the public consciousness and to continue the plea for information. At the time he went missing, Lucas was described as being 5'8' tall, weighing approximately 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has a dime-sized bald spot on the front of his head, a piercing in his right eyebrow, and a brown mark on the left side of his back. The case of Lucas Degerness is a haunting mystery that has baffled investigators for over a decade. The question of whether he ran away or met with foul play remains unanswered. For his family, the years have been filled with a painful uncertainty, as they continue to hope for a resolution and to one day know what happened to their beloved son.Last Seen: Jun 7, 2007
