MISSING: Jan Stonehouse & Darlene Tucker - 1983 - Oakville, ON
By: S.M. Last Updated: 07/21/20
Jan Stonehouse & Darlene Tucker
Missing since 1983Oakville, OntarioAges: 16Jannisina (Jan) Stonehouse
Jannisina (Jan) Stonehouse disappeared on August 8, 1983 from her home in Oakville, Ontario. She was 16 years old.
It is believed Jan left her home because she was pregnant. At the time, her mother was sick and in the hospital; she died a short time after Jan disappeared. Although Jan had run away in the past, her father became concerned and reported her missing when she failed to return for her mother’s funeral.
She was known as “Jan” by friends and known as “Sina” by family. Some agencies list her first name as Jinisina or Jinnisina.
Investigators believe her disappearance is tied to that of Darlene Yvonne Tucker, 16, also of Oakville.
Darlene Yvonne Tucker
Darlene Tucker c. 1983
Darlene Tucker was a Grade 10 student at the former General Wolfe High School on McCraney Street. She was last seen on February 14, 1983 - six months before Jan Stonehouse disappeared. She was friends with Jan Stonehouse.
Tucker fled her home on Lakeshore Road West after she discovered she was pregnant and an argument with her mother ensued. She stayed with a boyfriend in another part of Oakville for several weeks, but eventually left his house after an argument about another boyfriend she had in Toronto.
Nobody knows exactly what happened after she left her boyfriend’s house, but it’s believed she went to Toronto for a period of time. The father of her boyfriend in Oakville was the one who eventually reported her missing to Halton Regional Police.
In the months following her disappearance, Darlene Tucker made several calls to her mother from a pay phone in Huntsville, Ontario.
In 1985, Tucker was spotted working as a waitress in Toronto. It was the year she turned 18; she never collected the money from her trust, which would have been available to her that year.
In 1987, there was a confirmed sighting of Darlene and Jan together in the Haliburton area (or in Huntsville, depending on the source), where the Tucker family had a vacation trailer.
This was the last confirmed sighting of either girl. Despite many tips over the years, investigators have never been able to locate them - and at the very least, confirm their safety.
Darlene Tucker & Jan Stonehouse
Jan’s parents are deceased and she has no siblings. Darlene’s family continues to search for her and would like to know that she is safe.
Darlene Tucker has a prominent gap between her two front teeth. She also had a skin allergy on her hands, which caused them to break out in blisters.
If you have any information on the disappearances or whereabouts of Jan Stonehouse or Darlene Tucker, please call Regional Investigative Services at:905-825-4747 ext. 8760 You can also submit an ANONYMOUS tip through Crime Stoppers at:1-800-222-TIPS (8477)** NOTE: Some agencies use the spelling Jinisina. The Halton Police website profile spells it Jannisina.
