Thelma Krull's family and friends 'not surprised' with abduction theory

Thelma Krull's family and friends say they'renot surprised thepolice now think the 57-year-old grandmother couldhave been abducted when she went missing last summer.

"Not a surprise." said Thelma Krull's husbandRobert Krull.

Robert Krullspoke for the first time since Winnipeg police revealed on Monday that they now believehis wife underwentsome sort ofdistress and that she may have been abducted while she wasout for a walk in theValley Gardens area on July 11, 2015.

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Her glasses were found on Kimberly Hill several days later. Krull's cellphone was also discovered in the area that same day.

Krull said he and his family spoke to Winnipeg police last week about the latest developments and he praised investigators working on the case.

"We had a meeting on Thursday and I'm amazed at the depth police have gone into, things they have done I never expected, they made it a top priority kind of thing and I appreciate everything they've done." Krull said.

But he stopped short of saying he'ssatisfied with the police investigation so far.

"I'll be satisfied when I get answers."

ThelmaKrull'sfriendConnie Muscat said the last couple of days have been extremely emotional for theKrullfamily, but added she isn't surprised police are now consideringKrullcould have been abducted.

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"Hearingthose exact words were hard but we were also very pleasedthat the community can now understand," Muscat said.

"I think the police said it perfectly yesterday whenthey described it, as we should always be very aware of our surroundings and worry about our safety regardless of where we are."

Krull,who is a Winnipeg Transit driver, was joined by Muscat and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union when he delivered acheque for $6,796to the Canadian Centre for Child Protectionin Manitoba on Tuesday.

The funds were raised with the help of the union which donated $5,000 towards a $10,000rewardto help findKrull.

The rest of the funds were raised through thesale of safetywhistles in her honour.

DarrylAntymniuk, chief inspector for Winnipeg Transit, said he and his colleaguescame up with the idea of selling safety whistlestohelp support their friend.

"I thought Child Find Manitoba was a perfect fitafterall we're all someone's child," he said.

'Humbled' by donation

"I can't imagine what the Krull family is going through, what Bob is going through, I can't imagine my wife walking away in the morning and then never seeing her again." said Antymniuk.

ChristyDzikowicz, director of the child safety and family advocacy division with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in Winnipeg, said she's humbled by the gesture.

"When we see families who are dealing with tragic circumstances we're almost always humbled by them," said Dzikowicz.

"And to know that these people, these colleagues of Thelma's family, to see their resilience after a year of heartbreak they're willing to and wanting totake the time to help other people is remarkable."

The funds will go towards support servicesforfamiliesof missing children in Manitoba.