Edmonton police say recent attention to Dylan Koshman‘s disappearance has brought forward more information about his case.
“This public attention has helped us,” said Staff Sgt. Duane Hunter with the Edmonton Police Service Homicide Section.
“It’s brought new information, which has helped us further this investigation and it’s also resulting in us revisiting previous investigative tasks and actually re-interviewing other people.”
Police were speaking out about how their investigation had evolved one week after a CBC investigative program revealed it had learned Koshman’s disappearance was now being investigated as a potential homicide.
READ MORE: Dylan Koshman’s 2008 disappearance now under investigation by Edmonton homicide unit
Koshman was 21 years old when he disappeared. He was last seen by his roommates walking away from his home in the area of 104 Street and 33 Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2008.
Police said he had been drinking, got into an argument with his roommates and was asked to leave.
Koshman’s girlfriend reported him missing to police four days later. His family has not seen or heard from him since.
READ MORE: Family of Dylan Koshman marks painful anniversary
On Friday, Hunter said the homicide section has actually been involved in Koshman’s missing persons case since 2015.
“At that time we were providing direction and advice to the investigators from missing persons unit,” Hunter said.
“With cases like Dylan’s, we often develop a team approach and what we do when we do a team approach, we blend our investigative team by members from places like missing persons unit, homicide section and historical homicide section.”
“Our family is very disappointed that it has taken this long for Dylan’s case to go to homicide – and that we had to find out on national television – but we have to have faith that now we will be able to get answers,” Koshman’s mother, Melanie Alix, said in a statement Friday night.
“All we want is to find Dylan and bring him home. If anyone has any information that could help, please contact the Edmonton police.”
Hunter said the team working on Koshman’s case includes one homicide detective, two missing persons constables and two historical homicide detectives.
“We want to make sure that we don’t miss anything. We look at it from every angle. We make sure that we don’t miss any speck of evidence and the investigation is concluded thoroughly.”
Every year on the anniversary of his disappearance, Koshman’s family has held a vigil in his honour.
“Dylan’s family have had to endure this for eight-and-a-half years. That’s something nobody should have to go through,” Hunter said.
“We believe that more people should come forward and start providing the information they have regarding this case.”
A hotline has been set up for tips on Koshman’s case. The phone number is 780-391-5444.