MISSING: Audrey Desjardins (1996) - Welland, ON
By S.M.Published July 19, 2020
Missing since October 3, 1996
Welland, Ontario
Age at Disappearance: 42 years oldThe Disappearance of Audrey Desjardins
“I always thought I’d hear the car coming home one day.” - Audrey’s son, 2009 Niagara Standard article by Peter Downs.
On October 3, 1996, Audrey Desjardins was a few weeks shy of turning 43. She had a loving family that included her 20-year-old son, and her husband, Gaetan. The family lived in Welland, Ontario – about 20 minutes from the former Nabisco fruit packing plant in St. Davids, where Audrey frequently worked night shifts.
That evening, when she finished the night shift, Audrey dropped off her friend/co-worker in Welland as she sometimes did. Audrey was driving her four-door burgundy 1985 Ford Crown Victoria – a Mother’s Day gift from her husband. The car was in excellent condition and had a Canadian flag bumper sticker on the left rear bumper, and the license plate CJM 741.
Before Audrey drove away, the two friends said they would see each other again the next night.
This was the last confirmed sighting of Audrey and her vehicle.
The Search for Audrey
Over the span of five years, investigators conducted 35 dives in the Welland Canal and other water bodies in the region.
In 2009, Niagara Regional Police added Audrey’s case to an online database in hopes of gaining information about Audrey’s fate.
“I always thought I’d hear the car coming home one day,” said her son in a Niagara Standard article by Peter Downs, published in 2009.
That was 11 years ago. Despite these efforts by investigators and her family’s relentless search for answers, there has never been any sign of Audrey or her vehicle, and no indication of what happened the night she disappeared nearly 24 years ago.
2016 Discovery
In 2016, a red vehicle with a body inside was found submerged in the Welland Canal. The woman was later identified as 56-year-old Cathy Pietz, the daughter of a former Niagara mayor.
When Audrey Desjardins disappeared, she was wearing a light blue jacket with two brown strips on the front, going to the shoulders, with a belted waist. She was also wearing light blue/jean pants with a belt, a salmon coloured sweater, and black running-shoe style footwear. She was carrying a black, short-handled purse.
Audrey’s date of birth is October 28, 1953. Some agencies list her age at the time of her disappearance as 43.
If you recognize Audrey, her vehicle, her clothing, the Canadian flag bumper sticker, or have any information that might help her family find answers, please contact one of the agencies below.
Age-enhanced image of Audrey Desjardins:
Map of Key Locations:
Physical Characteristics & Details:
Investigating Agencies:
Missing since: October 3, 1996:
Year of birth: 1953
Age at disappearance: 42
Sex: Female
Bio group: White
Eye colour: Blue
Hair: Long, straight, dyed blonde
Teeth: Good
Height: 160cm / 5 ft 3 in
Weight: 52kg / 115 lbs
Build: Slender/Thin
Sources & Further Reading: o Nabisco plant closure
· “The last fruit processing plant in Ontario closed at St. David’s in the Niagara Region a few years ago. It processed peaches, among other fruit products. At one time, the Niagara Region had several fruit canning plants. And so did the Leamington area. But they have been all swept away by consolidation within the industry, leaving fewer reasons for growers to do what they do best.”