Daughter losing hope of finding mother

By MICHAEL STAPLES
staples.michael@dailygleaner.com

Published Monday September 17th, 2007

Appeared on page A1

The daughter of a Fredericton woman missing for two years has a simple message for her mother: if you're = still alive, please come home.

Lori Arsenault is expecting her second child in February and s= he wants her mother to see the baby.

"I need her; I really need her to be home," she said. "We were always really, really close."

Judy Arsenault was reported missing Aug. 25, 2005, after vanis= hing while visiting with a friend near McGivney, a community about 50 kilometres north of Fredericton.

The 55-year-old woman had been helping a friend search for a l= ost watch near a camp when she disappeared.

Despite the tireless efforts of the Canadian Red Cross, the Department of Natural Resources, the RCMP dogmaster from Fredericton, an RCMP helicopter and ground search and rescue teams from around the province, Arsenault hasn't been seen since.

The Arsenault family has many questions, but few answers.=

"It's hard to believe it's been two years," Arsenault said.

"It doesn't get any easier. I find myself having less fai= th ... For a really long time, I was expecting her to call me, or for somebody= to see her somewhere, but I don't have as much faith as I used to."<= /o:p>

Arsenault said she has heard several theories as to what might have happened to her mother, but they change daily.

"I just don't know; I have no idea," she said. "That's the worst part -- not knowing."

Her mother had never wandered off on her own before, Arsenault said.

But because of numerous health issues -- which included recove= ring from a brain tumor, a related operation and epilepsy -- she wasn't in a nor= mal state of mind. She would have a seizure if she didn't have access to her medication, said Arsenault.

While she may not have been herself at that time of her disappearance, Arsenault said her mother still had her wits about her and w= as capable of performing regular tasks.

But she wasn't in the best of physical condition.

Arsenault said when the search was being c= onducted, she wondered whether her mother was capable of travell= ing the distances that were being looked at.

"Did she just have a plan and did she have somebody meet = her out by the highway? Then we found her shirt in the woods."<= /span>

The sweatshirt was discovered along a hydro line and looked as= if it had been sat on for a while.

As it turned out, it was the only clue the family would find.<= o:p>

Does she think her mother is still alive?

"I can't answer it; I can't allow myself to go there and think about that," Arsenault said. "I do (hold out hope) but ther= e is just less hope and I don't have as much hope as I did."

RCMP Sgt. Derek Strong said missing person files are kept for = 99 years and reviewed ever year. In the case of a two-year-old file, that woul= d be close to the top of the list, he said.

When last seen, Judy Arsenault was described as being of medium build, five-feet, five-inches tall, weighing 145 pounds and with grey hair.=

She was wearing eyeglasses, dark-coloured= shorts, a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt, beige socks with black trim and green sneakers with a yellow stripe.

A HE= AVY HEART: Lori Arsenault holds a photo of her mom Judy Arsenault who disappear= ed two years ago near McGivney. A large-scale search of the area only uncovered her sweatshirt