Kamloops Rural RCMP are continuing their investigation into a historical missing person case involving a toddler.
On July 3, 1960, police had a report of a lost child in the Red Lake area, 45 miles northwest of Kamloops. The missing girl was 21-month-old Edna Bette-Jean Masters, and she was never found. RCMP also never found evidence of what happened to her in the nearly 55 years since.
Photo Credit: KamloopsBCNow.com
Historical files are regularly reviewed by RCMP, and officers often use new investigative tools to further the progress.
The young girl, known to her family as Bette-Jean, was last seen playing with family and friends at a friend’s residence. When she disappeared, she was wearing a green bonnet with white frill, an undershirt, a pink short-sleeved t-shirt, faded pink overalls, white socks, and sandals. Bette-Jean weighed about 24 pounds and had a fair complexion with blue eyes and blonde, fine, curly hair.
The area was extensively searched in 1960 by volunteers, police, airplane, and a police dog. Searchers covered the yard, surrounding forests, ponds, and roadways. Though police received numerous tips, nothing was found to suggest what happened to the young girl.
Age progression of Bette-Jean Masters. (Photo Credit: RCMP Handout)
Investigators made another plea to the public in August 2013. Since then, RCMP have used forensic art services to create an age progression drawing to show what Bette-Jean might look like today. The drawing was created using the photos that existed of Bette-Jean at the time of her disappearance, as well as photos of her siblings, mother, and father. To complete the sketch, the artist looks at various facial bone structures and the overall shape.
If you have any information about this case, no matter how seemingly insignificant, call Kamloops Rural RCMP at 250-314-1800 or Crime Stoppers.
