Mother of missing Montreal girl holds out hope after 35 years

ST. LAURENT, Que. – For three and a half decades, Liliane Cyr has held out hope that she would get that phone call.

“I want to end that story. I think it’s been long enough,” Cyr said, choking back tears.

“It’s been 35 years you know!”

She last saw her daughter on August 15, 1978.

Her child, Yohanna, was only 18 months old and had been left in the care of Liliane’s boyfriend when she went missing.

“Back in 1978, Yohanna’s mother, Liliane Cyr, had accepted a one-week contract in the Escoumins region and asked her boyfriend to care for her daughter in her absence,” noted a statement from the the Missing Children’s Network.

“Upon returning home, her boyfriend informed her that her daughter had accidentally drowned in the bathtub and that he had buried the toddler’s body. Lilianne immediately contacted Montreal Police to report the incident.”

The man was questioned by police and later released due to lack of physical evidence.  

On Thursday, a sad ceremony was held near the family’s former home to mark the anniversary of Yohanna’s disappearance.

Yohanna’s sister, Vera-Sarah Cyr, sang a song at the event, breaking down in tears several times.

“A part of me is missing. I have never met her but I love her,” she said.

The ceremony also served to kick off to a new publicity campaign.  

An age-enhanced photo of Yohanna Cyr was made public, showing what the young woman may look like today.

Nancy Duncan from the Missing Children’s Network confirmed that Montreal Police have recently reactivated the case.  

Investigators have reportedly gone back to question witnesses.  

They have even met with Liliane Cyr’s former boyfriend, who is currently living in the United States.

“He refuses to accept a polygraph test,” Cyr told Global News.

Liliane Cyr said that she believes her daughter may have been sold to another family.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Montreal Police Info-Crime line at 514-393-1133.