David FORTIN Missing Person Case

David

FORTIN

31

14

68 inches

68 inches

165 lbs

165 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the quiet town of Alma, nestled in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec, a family's life was irrevocably altered on the morning of February 10, 2009. Fourteen-year-old David Fortin, a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, left his home around 7:50 a.m., ostensibly to catch the school bus to Camille-Lavoie High School. He was dressed for the cold in a red winter jacket with "Polaris" written on the back, blue jeans, a black hoodie, and a grey toque. His mother watched him leave, noting he was a few minutes earlier than usual, but had no reason to believe it would be the last time she would see her son. David never boarded the bus and did not arrive at school that day. The days and weeks following David's disappearance revealed a painful backstory of relentless bullying that he had endured for years. Both his parents and law enforcement came to believe he ran away to escape the torment he faced at school, which stemmed in part from a speech impediment. The night before he vanished, David had confided in his parents that he had been threatened with physical violence. This was the culmination of years of verbal and physical harassment that had been so severe the school had reportedly assigned a security guard to monitor him. The bullying had a profound effect on David, causing him to become withdrawn and to stop sharing the extent of his suffering with his family, fearing it would only make the situation worse. In the immediate aftermath of his disappearance, an extensive search was launched by police and hundreds of volunteers, who scoured the woods near his home and distributed thousands of posters. The investigation was complicated by a series of unconfirmed sightings. There were reports of a boy matching his description hitchhiking in Lac-Bouchette and towards Trois-Rivières. Another compelling report came from a truck driver who picked up a teenager resembling David near Berthierville five days after he went missing, dropping him off near a roadside shrine. Despite these leads and the family's tireless efforts, including distributing age-progressed photos over the years, no trace of David has ever been found. The case of David Fortin remains a painful open wound for his family and community, a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of bullying. His disappearance led to the creation of the STAY (Safety, Trust, Awareness, and You) program in Quebec schools, a legacy born from tragedy to help other young people facing similar struggles.

Gloves Red, Black Hat Synthetic, Grey, Toque Jeans Denim, Blue Sweater Cotton, Black Coat Synthetic, Red, Black, "Polaris" winter coat

Feb 10, 2009

Alma

Quebec

Sûreté du Québec

Québec

1-800-659-4264

1-800-659-4264

Law Enforcement

252-090210-013

Sûreté du Québec

Brown

Brown

Brown

Complexion: Light/Fair; Hair details: Short, Wavy

No