Joanne Maria PEDERSEN Missing Person Case

Joanne Maria

PEDERSEN

53

10

54 inches

54 inches

84 lbs

84 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

In the quiet community of Vedder Crossing in Chilliwack, British Columbia, a heart-wrenching mystery began to unfold on the evening of February 19, 1983. Ten-year-old Joanne Maria Pedersen, known affectionately as "JoJo" to her family, found herself in a common childhood predicament that would inexplicably lead to her vanishing. After an argument with her sister while walking home, she arrived to find herself locked out. Seeking help on that cold and rainy night, Joanne walked to the nearby Penny Pincher convenience store on Vedder Road to use the payphone. She was a young girl with shoulder-length light brown hair, brown eyes, and a notable one-inch birthmark behind her right ear. That evening, she was wearing a yellow t-shirt with the words "a touch of class," a blue sweater, a pink sleeveless jacket, and tan-colored pants. The last known contact with Joanne was a phone call she made to her mother at approximately 8:20 p.m. During the call, an unidentified adult male also spoke to her mother, stating that if she wasn't there in half an hour, he would contact the police. Joanne's mother and stepfather arrived at the convenience store within 20 to 30 minutes, but a profound sense of dread must have washed over them as they discovered the phone booth empty, with no sign of Joanne or the unknown man. The receiver was left dangling, a silent testament to the abrupt end of the call and the beginning of a decades-long search. An exhaustive air and ground search involving police, dog teams, and community volunteers was launched, but tragically, it yielded no trace of the missing girl. The investigation into Joanne's disappearance has spanned over four decades, marked by periods of silence and renewed hope. The unidentified man seen with Joanne at the phone booth became a central figure in the case. He was described as a Caucasian male in his twenties to thirties, with a slim to medium build and hair below the ears. Over the years, police received new information, including anonymous letters in 2008 and 2011, which were believed to be from this man. In a significant development announced in February 2023, on the 40th anniversary of her disappearance, the RCMP confirmed they had identified the man from the phone booth and ruled him out as a suspect. Despite this breakthrough, his identity has not been publicly released. The case of Joanne Pedersen remains an active and open investigation, a painful and unresolved chapter for her family and the community. The circumstances of what happened in the moments after she ended the call with her mother remain a haunting mystery, leaving her loved ones with unanswered questions and an enduring hope for resolution.

Jacket Pink, sleeveless Pants Tan, Capri Shirt Yellow, t-shirt "touch of class" Sweater Blue Mark Ears, 1" birthmark behind right ear

Feb 19, 1983

Chilliwack

British Columbia

Chilliwack RCMP

Chilliwack

British Columbia

604-792-4611

604-792-4611

Law Enforcement

83-02535

Chilliwack RCMP

Brown

Brown

Brown

Build: Slender/Thin; Complexion: Light/Fair; Hair details: Long

No