Jo-Anne Maria Pedersen

Status:

Open

Missing From:

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Summary:

10-year-old Jo-Anne Pedersen went missing on February 19, 1983, at about 8:20 p.m. when she was last seen in a phone booth at the Penny Pinchers convenience store at the corner of Watson Road and Vedder Road in Chilliwack, British Columbia. She had called her parents asking for a ride after being locked out of the house, but by the time her parents arrived at the store she was gone and has not been seen or heard from since. The case remains unsolved, although RCMP say it is still an "active investigation."

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Jo-Anne, age 10, her 11-year-old sister, and her 14-year-old female cousin were walking home from a mall when an argument ensued between Pedersen and the two older girls. Her sister and cousin ran to their home to lock Pedersen out of the house as a prank. When Pedersen eventually arrived, she tried for a few minutes to get in, but the girls did not open the door until Pedersen had already left. Left in the rain, Pedersen decided to give up on trying to get into the house and instead went to a corner store close to her house with the intent to call her mother and step-father, who were at a Legion hall at the time, to pick her up. Pedersen tried to talk to an employee at the Penny Pinchers, a convenience store that was located at the corner of Watson Road and Vedder Road in Chilliwack, but the employee was busy with other customers. She resorted to using a payphone outside and dialed the number to the Legion hall and asked for her step-father. While Jo-Anne was still talking, a tall man wearing a sports jacket approached and took the receiver from Jo-Anne. As they were driving back, passing motorists and local witnesses noticed the brightly lit glass payphone booth outside the convenience store. They later reported seeing a young girl standing inside the booth with a tall man in a sports jacket. By 8.40 pm, Jo-Anne's parents were at the corner of Watson and Vedder Roads. The phone booth was empty. Jo-Anne and the tall man were gone.

Additional Details:

By November 1983, Chilliwack RCMP had interviewed more than 3,000 people and 300 possible suspects. An exhaustive RCMP air and ground search involving dogs and teams of volunteers found no trace of the missing girl, nor any signs of foul play. On February 15 2008 the media published a composite drawing of the mystery man and appealed for him to come forward. The mystery man, police said, was in his 20s, of average build and just over six feet tall. After consulting with a behavioural scientist, police now believe the man last seen with Jo-Anne was there to help her. "Our hope is that the individual will know we understand he was trying to help and will come forward to talk to police," authorities said. Chilliwack RCMP have received three anonymous letters since the 25th anniversary from a man who claims to be a witness to the events leading up to the disappearance of the little girl. Police say it is imperative to identify this witness so they can speak with him. Jo-Anne's mother, Angela Reilly, still holds out hope that her daughter is alive. Her life has never been the same since Jo-Anne went missing. She thinks about Jo-Anne every day and wonders what happened to her. The grandmother's number was unlisted, but Jo-Anne knew it, which led police to hope she was still alive.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 16, 2026