UPDATE: On July 31, 2018, police said Melnyk was found by patrol members at Londonderry Mall earlier in the day. They said she was found in good health and unharmed.
A youth pastor who’s known a missing Edmonton woman for about 15 years said the entire community is worried about her.
Alissa Melnyk, 26, was last seen in the area of 134 Avenue and Fort Road on July 26 at around 7 p.m.
According to Edmonton police, Melnyk functions at the level of a five-year-old.
“Alissa’s a fun girl,” Fort Road Victory Church pastor Robin Stewart said. “She likes things that most young girls would like, even though she’s 26 years old. She likes to go to the park and play, but she’s also very vulnerable to just kind of go off with whoever would ask her to come.”
Stewart said Melnyk has been attending the programs the church offers since she was about five. She has gone on a number of camping trips and field trips offered by the church and Stewart said Melnyk is never comfortable being away from her mom for too long.
“By day two she’s usually looking to go home and be with her mom.”
Melnyk’s family is “very, very worried,” Stewart said, and that extends to the family she has through the church.
“We printed missing person flyers and the youth group and a bunch of the congregation went around looking and knocking on doors in the neighbourhood,” she said. “Everybody’s pretty worried about her.
“Alissa’s the person who comes in and…if we have soup kitchen she’s there at the end to help clean the tables and put things away and she’s just always around and ready to help whenever she can.”
Stewart said Melnyk can walk to the McDonalds near their home or to the park by herself, but she’s never been gone for this long. She said it’s important that she knows her mom misses her and that she’s not in trouble.
“She just needs to know her mom isn’t mad.”
She was last seen wearing a black sweater, black pants and carrying a brown teddy bear backpack. She’s described as five-foot-five-inches tall and weighs about 119 pounds.
Melynk’s brother, Kaine Melnyk, said his sister can carry on a conversation like an adult.
Police said there are no indications that foul play is involved in her disappearance.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 780-423-4567 or the Edmonton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online.
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