RCMP escalate search across Prairies for Mekayla Bali, 17, missing for 3 months
Child search alert issued for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Saskatchewan RCMP have escalated the search for missing 17-year-old Mekayla Bali and have put out a child search alert for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The Yorkton teenager has been missing since April 12.
The chief operating officer of the Missing Children Society of Canada, Tricia Bailey, said RCMP reached out to them to engage the public once again.
"In this specific case, police have decided that they needed to re-engage the public because they are concerned for this child's safety," said Bailey.
The Yorkton teen was last seen on April 12 at 1:45 p.m. CST at a Yorkton bus station. Her family last saw her that morning when her mother, Paula Bali, dropped her off at school.
The family learned Mekayla was missing when her grandmother went to pick her up at the end of the day and she was not at the school.
"There are so many questions about what happened to Mekayla. It feels like a mystery to me about what happened that day and where she's been," said Paula.
"It has been devastating. I have two younger children. They have struggled so much. It's a difficult enough as an adult to wrap my head around this."
Paula made a public plea on July 8 at a news conference.
What child search alert means
The RCMP said that they still do not have an indication that Mekayla has left the province. However, they reached out to the Missing Children Society of Canada to activate the child search alert.
"Not every case can be escalated an Amber Alert simply because it doesn't meet the qualifications," said Bailey.
Bailey said that the child search alert is relatively new and has been in use for about four years now.
It essentially serves as the placeholder between a missing or endangered child case and an Amber Alert. It allows police special technology to help in their search efforts.
"We know that police are strategic in how and when they engage the public," said Bailey. "So it's important that when they do ask for help we all respond and keep an eye out and provide information we may have."
Mother's hope
Paula is still hopeful Meykala will return home safely. She said she is in constant contact with police and that tips continue to come in. Paula said they continue to raise funds to create a reward for the safe return of Meykala. It's now up to $15,000.
"For me as a parent knowing my child and the circumstances under which has has disappeared is really, really baffling," said Paula. "My child didn't have any of those markers that there was anything I should have been worried about."
Paula is drawing strength from people within Yorkton, who continue to help her do anything they can to find Meykala. She said the hardest part is explaining to her two younger children what's happening.
"I think one of the most heart wrenching things is they sit on my knee and they go mom I'm scared Meykala is going to forget about us. And I'll say she'll never forget about you and we'll never forget about her."
Timeline
The RCMP have constructed a timeline of Mekayla's whereabouts the morning of her disappearance. They have been able to account for her whereabouts up until 1:45 p.m., except for the time between 10:45 a.m. and 11:55 a.m.
Here is a timeline of Mekayla's known whereabouts the day she went missing:
- 8:20 a.m. — Mekayla dropped off at Sacred Heart High School.
- Between 8:25 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. — Mekayla leaves the school.
- Between 9 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. — Visits 160 Broadway Street East Tim Hortons in Yorkton twice.
- 10:45 a.m.- 11:55 a.m. — whereabouts unknown.
- Returns to school for 10 minutes around noon.
- Between 12:15 and 1 p.m. — goes to STC Bus Depot in Yorkton and purchases a meal at the Trail Stop Restaurant.
- Between 1 and 1:45 p.m. — leaves the STC Bus Depot in Yorkton.
If you have any information regarding Mekayla, please contact police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).