In search for missing London women, volunteer group set to scour city park

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An organization searching for two missing Londoners plans to scour a park near the Thames River this weekend.

If the search Oct. 5 and 6 at Cavendish park doesn’t provide physical evidence, the continuing efforts to find out what happened to Kathryn Bordato and Shelley Desrochers might at least prompt someone to come forward with clues, said Nick Oldrieve, executive director of Please Bring Me Home.

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“I would love nothing more than to find some kind of evidence down on that river. This is the only location we have right now. We could be wrong, but we need someone to point us in the right direction,” he said.

“I implore the public: Please don’t be scared. If you’ve heard of something, don’t be afraid to bring it forward to us or London police.”

A group of at least six volunteers with the organization, which aims to help find missing people, will search both sides of the river because of the park’s connection to Bordato.

A 44-year-old mother of two, Bordato was last seen around Aug. 16, 2009, between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. near Cavendish park, southwest of Riverside Drive and Wharncliffe Road, London police believe.

An investigation into her disappearance began in February 2010.

Her boyfriend, Ronald Kevin Fangrad, told investigators he dropped her off at the park either that day or the next, London police Det. Insp. Alex Krygsman said in an episode of the series Never Seen Again released on Paramount Plus last year.

There are three possible reasons he told police that, Oldrieve said.

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One: “He admitted that because someone saw him there with her and that’s his alibi: ‘Of course I was with her; I was dropping her off so she could buy drugs,’ ” Oldrieve said.

Two: “It’s a complete misdirect, which is more likely, because he doesn’t want people looking anywhere near where she is.”

Three: “Maybe he wanted her to be found. That’s the least likely reason, based on what we know of him.”

Fangrad also has a connection to Desrochers. The 42-year-old mother and grandmother was last seen near English Street and Lorne Avenue on Jan. 2, 2016, police say. Both she and Bordato worked at times in the sex trade.

In the Never Seen Again episode, Krygsman said Desrochers logged into her Facebook account for the last time that day at the London home of a man known to her.

The same man had been a boyfriend of Bordato, Krygsman said, though he didn’t use Fangrad’s name.

Even if the Cavendish site offers no evidence, it could draw out other clues, Oldrieve said.

“Maybe someone calls in and says this is what he (Fangrad) said to me or this is what he threatened me with, or this is where he would frequent. That is what we’re looking for,” Oldrieve said.

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If the same person is responsible for the disappearance of both women, they could both be in the same place, Oldrieve said.

It wouldn’t make sense to try to hide a body in the river in the winter, so the ravines may hold some evidence or remains, he said. “It can still be highly probable.”

Please Bring Me Home is considering other theories for Desrochers’ disappearance, Oldrieve said.

Other people with information about Desrochers have been less than cooperative with the organization, he said.

“It begs the question ‘why? If you’re not involved, why not cooperate?’” he said. “We are focusing on this theory for now that both cases are connected. But we’re not ruling out anything.”

Please Bring Me Home isn’t seeking volunteers from the public for this search, which will extend downstream, but may ask for help in other searches, Oldrieve said.

For more information on Please Bring Me Home, visit pleasebringmehome.com. Anonymous tips can be sent in by email, tips@pleasebringmehome.com or by phone, 1-226-702-2728. Tips also can be mailed to PO Box 74, Owen Sound, ON N4K 5P1

rrichmond@postmedia.com

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