The Washington State Patrol and Saskatchewan RCMP are teaming together in an effort to locate Mekayla Bali, who was last seen on April 12, 2016 in Yorkton, Sask.
On May 26, two truck/trailer rigs featuring a photo of Bali, who was 16 when she went missing, were unveiled as part of the Homeward Bound program in Blaine, Wash.
According to a release, in partnership with Kam-Way Transportation, Washington State Patrol’s missing and unidentified persons unit places age-advanced photos on semi-trailers that travel across North America in hopes of generating leads to help find missing children.
“Approximately 800 tips from all over the world have been reported to police in relation to our investigation into Mekayla’s disappearance, including tips and information reported from Washington,” said Cpl. Robert Head of the Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit, who attended the event in Washington.
“These tips have been followed up on by investigators. Mekayla has not been found and is still considered missing.”
The initiative aims to try and keep a missing person’s name in news reports or the public eye in the hopes someone with information will call in a tip or sighting of them.
“Partnerships in missing persons cases occur regularly with Border States and Canada, but it’s not an automatic process,” Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste stated in a release. “It requires leadership, outreach and communications to make this happen. We are proud of our close partnership with the RCMP, share their steadfast resolve in serving the public, and are hopeful that this particularly unique international collaboration can help find Mekayla.”
Saskatchewan RCMP expressed gratitude to Kam-Way Transportation, the Washington State Patrol and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for considering Bali for the Homeward Bound program and collaborating on this important initiative.
“All it takes is one key piece of information that will help push this investigation forward so we can bring Mekayla home to her family,” said Head.
In April, an anonymous donor came forward this week with a $60,000 donation to boost the reward fund to $100,000. The donation marked the six-year anniversary of Bali’s disappearance.