Parents of missing Dartmouth woman Catie Miller call for expanded search

HALIFAX – The parents of a missing Dartmouth woman made a public appeal Friday in the hopes of bolstering efforts to find their daughter.

Catherine “Catie” Miller hasn’t been seen or heard from since July 15, and her parents, John and Terry, say it’s unusual for her not to be in contact with them.

Now, they are calling for a nationwide search to help locate her.

“If she left in a car, voluntarily or otherwise, after this length of time, we feel she could be anywhere in Canada,” John said.

Her parents say they don’t believe their 29-year-old daughter intended to go anywhere.

John said there were some items they “can’t imagine her not taking with her.”

“She basically left everything she owns behind,” he said.

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John and Terry say there’s been no activity on Catie’s bank account, Facebook account or phone since she went missing.

“It’s as if somebody threw a light switch,” John said.

Halifax police say they’ve received a large number of tips over the past few weeks — some from as far as Ontario — but none have led them to Catie.

“We are employing all the resources we have and everything we can, but so far nothing has panned out,” said Halifax Regional Police spokesman Const. Pierre Bourdages.

“Until we locate Miss Miller, we can’t rule out foul play, nor can we rule out the fact that she may have moved somewhere else. Nothing can be ruled out until we actually locate her.”

So far, thousands of posters with Catie Miller’s photo and description have been put up around the province, and 1,431 people have joined the Find Catherine “Catie” Miller Facebook group.

Catie’s family and friends are planning a vigil for Aug. 12, at Halifax’s Grand Parade at 8 p.m., which will mark four weeks since she disappeared.