Province offers $50K reward for information on missing woman from Fort Frances, Ont.

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 3:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

It's been much than a twelvemonth since Melanie Lapish was past seen, and the Ontario authorities is present offering a $50,000 reward "for accusation starring to the apprehension and condemnation of the person(s) responsible" for her disappearance.

Lapish was past seen connected Feb. 26, 2024 successful Fort Frances astir 9 p.m. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says she had been dropped disconnected astatine the McDonald's connected Kings Highway and was expected to conscionable idiosyncratic determination for a ride.

The pistillate was 35 years aged erstwhile she was reported missing successful the northwestern Ontario municipality connected March 9, 2024. She was surviving successful Fort Frances astatine the clip but besides has ties to Sault Ste. Marie, wherever her parent lives.

"To date, Melanie Lapish has not been located and the circumstances of her disappearance are criminally suspicious," the OPP said successful a quality merchandise issued Monday, erstwhile it announced the $50,000 reward.

Lapish is described arsenic lasting five-foot-nine and weighing astir 110 pounds. She has blue-green eyes, agelong dirty-blonde hairsbreadth and a chemoreceptor ring, and was past seen wearing a grey sweater, bluish jeans and a toque.

"We anticipation this reward encourages anyone with accusation astir Melanie's disappearance to travel forward. Her household misses her profoundly and they merit answers. If you person immoderate information, delight measurement forward," said Acting Det. Staff Sgt. Ryan Gordon of the OPP's transgression probe branch.

Devoted mother, happy-go-lucky person

Colleen Rogers, Lapish's mother, said she was "floored" erstwhile she recovered retired the $50,000 reward had been approved. She explained the OPP had to petition the backing from the government, and that the process was six months successful the making. 

"I conscionable anticipation this is capable inducement for idiosyncratic to travel forward," Rogers told CBC News.

She describes her girl arsenic an outgoing, happy-go-lucky person, and a loving parent to her five-year-old son.

"She loved doing worldly with her lad — that was her fig one. Everything was for her son," said Rogers. "She had the brightest smile, she was energetic. She was ever connected the go; she ne'er stopped."

Lapish is ever successful interaction with her household and friends, said Rogers; her disappearance is precise dissimilar her.

"She wouldn't permission her lad for a day, truthful it's beauteous hard for her to permission him for a year," Rogers said.

Lapish's sister, Brit Anderson, held a assemblage locomotion successful Fort Frances connected Feb. 26 — the one-year day of erstwhile Lapish was past seen — to assistance rise awareness. The household has besides conducted searches for her successful town.

A Facebook radical called MISSING: MELANIE LAPISH had much than 1,500 members astatine work time.

The probe remains ongoing by the Rainy River District OPP nether the absorption of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. Assistance is besides being provided by the OPP North West Region Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Services, OPP North West Region Emergency Response Team and OPP Canine Unit.

Anyone who has had immoderate interaction with Lapish oregon has immoderate accusation astir her whereabouts is asked to interaction the OPP astatine 1-888-310-1122, oregon interaction Crime Stoppers anonymously astatine 1-800-222-8477 oregon ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Rogers' anticipation is that the reward money, and the OPP's renewed calls for information, volition supply answers astir what happened to her daughter.

"Any small happening mightiness beryllium the cardinal to solving this," she said.