Lethbridge police tap social media in missing persons cold cases

Lethbridgepolice are reaching out on social media to breathe new life into decades-old missing persons cases.

They also have a message for families and the public: a case may be coldbut itwill always be active.

"It`s really important for us to provide the closure that families want one way or another on these," said Staff Sgt. Scott Woods.

Police are looking for clues in the missing persons cases of Julie Ann Derouin, Anna Emma Hakze, Kim Yvonne Hakze and Theodore Murray Milde.

Derouin was 23-years-old when she was last seen in 1980 but wasn't reported missing for three years.

Sisters Anna and Kim Hakze were last seen in Edmonton in the mid-1980s but not reported missing until 2003. They would be 65- and 51-years-old, respectively, today.

Milde was reported missing in 1993. While police say evidence suggests he may have taken his own life, his body was never recovered.

Files never completely closed, say police

Lethbridge police made a plea to the missing on Thursday.

"We understand you may have walked away from your lives and it is not our intention to disrupt them. We only want to confirm that you are OK," police said in a release.

"We will not disclose your current location to your family or anyone else if you do not wish for them to know. Confirmation of your well-being is all that is needed to close your case."

Woods says while cold case evidence doesn't come along often,the files are never completely closed.

"It's important to come to a conclusion for us to keep the confidence in our community that we are still actively looking at these," Woods said.

"It`s not something we are just putting to the side and not ever going to deal with or look at."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lethbridgepolice at 403-328-4444 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.