On a Friday morning five years ago, Donald Neilson’s world came crashing to a halt.
Police discovered the body of his daughter, Jessica, in a car parked in back alley in St. Henri.
She had been missing for four months. Her parents tried everything they could to find her.
Police said at the time that they believed no one noticed the car, or Jessica’s lifeless body slumped in the passenger seat, keys in her hand, because it was hidden by the snow.
In the years since, there's been no arrest.
An autopsy confirmed Jessica, who was 25 at the time, was murdered -- but after a police investigation the trail went cold.
On the anniversary of the discovery of her body, Neilson is now speaking out in the hopes that someone had information that can help crack this case, and bring his family some peace.
“I just don't want her forgotten, he said.
“A cold case to me is you take a file and you put it in a box and put it in a storeroom somewhere. And if it's not out there on the bulletin board or something it's easily forgotten. You know, out of sight out of mind.”
Jessica's name and photo are on a cold case website in the hopes someone knows something that could help solve the case.
Police say the case hasn’t been forgotten, and that the investigation is ongoing.
“Even if it's 30 years ago, if there's any piece of information, if there's any information brought by the public, by anyone it will be investigated,” said Simon Delorme of the Montreal police.
Jessica’s boyfriend was questioned after her disappearance in December, but police later ruled him out as a suspect.
Neilson has added motivation to keep the memory of his daughter alive -- his granddaughter, who just turned eight.
“We're hoping to fill a void which we know she will be feeling,” he said.
He knows that one day, she too will want justice for her mother. And he hopes that day isn't far off.
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