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As the 12th anniversary of the disappearance of Luke Joly-Durocher passed on March 4, Brett Robinson, the director of case analysis for Please Bring Me Home, was hopeful the new information his team had uncovered would lead to the break in the case so many close to Luke have been wanting for so many years.
Robinson said he was ready to forward the most recent findings to the North Bay Police Service, including new eyewitness testimony about who killed Luke and corroboration from other eyewitnesses that this aforementioned witness was at the Sherbrooke Street apartment the night he disappeared.
"This is not hearsay evidence, of which there is plenty," when it comes to this case, Robinson told BayToday.
Robinson is the lead investigator in the disappearance of Temiscaming, Que., native Luke Joly-Durocher from North Bay in 2011 for Please Bring Me Home, a not-for-profit organization bolstered by volunteers who donate their knowledge, time, experience and equipment.
"We work with the families of anyone who is considered a missing person," said Robinson, noting Please Bring Me Home has a large platform with both a robust email distribution list and social media presence.
See related: Fresh eyes bring new focus to Luke Joly-Durocher case
The tips often come as a result of the in-depth coverage of the Joly-Durocher case from the team at the Shedding Light Podcast, who have a working partnership with Please Bring Me Home. The members of these organizations continue the search for Luke with the blessing of his mother, Monique Durocher.
See also: Shedding Light Podcast turns focus to Luke Joly-Durocher case
Although it is still painful to accept, there is little doubt in Monique's mind that her son met with foul play. She has expressed previously that recovering Luke's remains — whether that leads to criminal charges against those responsible or not — is the focus.
Robinson says PBMH has produced evidence involving an eyewitness of the disposal of Luke’s clothes and who also indicated the people that were cleaning up the apartment on Sherbrooke. Robinson says he also has testimony from a person who heard a confession by one of the people who disposed of the body and indicated who it was that killed Luke.
The team has also collected multiple testimonies regarding eyewitnesses to the confessions of the people covering up this crime, Robinson shares, as well as a professional in a mental health role who testified about the primary suspect speaking at length about what happened to Luke.
Robinson's team has learned of potential forensic material located at a residence and is working to verify a number of other pieces of evidence, including other eyewitness accounts of Luke’s murder, additional testimony about the numerous confessions by the primary suspect, and additional testimony regarding the cover-up of this crime.
"There are many other witnesses to different parts of this crime," Robinson says. "Often they feel more comfortable speaking with us than with law enforcement. Our work will continue and there is a great deal more evidence that can be gathered. We will be focusing in the spring on more searches for Luke’s body."
A search in October 2022 uncovered "areas of interest" in the case and private investigators have been working to further develop these leads through forensic examination. The multi-jurisdictional search using BlackTracks K9 cadaver dogs covered multiple locations in both North Bay and Temiscaming, including several spots along the nearby Ottawa River.
See: Investigators deploy cadaver dogs in Luke Joly-Durocher search
Robinson said a search using cadaver dogs can lead to the location of human remains in rough terrain, underwater — even years after the fact — and are a useful tool in augmenting the scope and reach of any missing person or cold case investigation. Dog searches can also help rule out areas of interest gleaned through investigative techniques or received through tips.
"What we did definitely advanced the case along a number of avenues," he said in October 2022. "We produced some actual evidence. Cadaver dog hits are a form of evidence."
As always, the findings from the search team were shared with the relevant authorities, including the North Bay Police Service. The NBPS will not comment on active investigations.
"This is a very solvable case," said Robinson, a licensed private investigator who holds a Master's degree in profiling and behaviour analysis. "This case can be solved. I've worked unsolvable cases before with almost zero evidence and this is the exact opposite. It's more sorting through everything that people have told us."
Luke's mother and sister, Priscillia, have stated they will never stop searching for answers, hoping to find the lead that will bring peace to Luke and ease some of the grief felt by his family.
A reward of $50,000 remains in place for anyone with information on Luke’s whereabouts. At this point, "it's not the police that are going to find Luke, it's the people," Monique said. "People have to keep on talking. We have to put on some pressure. Not to say who did it but just to find my son. I just want to know where he is."
If you have anything to share about Luke’s story please visit Please Bring Me Home — anonymous tips can be submitted via the website. Their anonymous tip line is 226-702-2728. If you have any information you would like to share with the North Bay Police Service they can be reached at 705-497-5555. You can also contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
