In the small town of Matane, Quebec, a family's life was irrevocably altered on the afternoon of March 25, 1996. On that day, 27-year-old Renee Simard, a young woman from a large family of fourteen children, left her parental home on Étienne-Gagnon Street, telling her family she was going for a walk. She was seen at approximately 2:30 p.m. near the wharf along the Matane River, close to where it meets the St. Lawrence River.
Another sighting placed her near the McDonald's restaurant on Avenue du phare Est, a short walk from her home, around 2:00 p.m. At the time of her disappearance, Renee was described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 117 pounds, with brown hair and light-colored eyes. She was wearing a three-quarter length navy blue winter jacket, faded blue jeans, and black mid-calf leather winter boots. A notable physical characteristic was a scar on her abdomen from a previous pancreas surgery.
Renee was known to be a quiet person who rarely ventured far from home for extended periods. She was being treated for depression and required daily medication. As the hours stretched into evening with no sign of her return, her parents grew increasingly worried and reported her missing to the police. The family feared she might have accidentally fallen into the water near the Old Port. This prompted her father and brother to tirelessly search the shoreline between Matane and Les Méchins, but their efforts yielded no clues. The family expressed that they believed it was unlikely she would have gotten into a car with a stranger and felt her disappearance was likely accidental.
The official investigation explored several possibilities. Sûreté du Québec divers searched the river and the mouth of the St. Lawrence for three months without success. One theory considered by law enforcement was that Renee may have ended her own life, but the lack of any evidence has prevented this from being confirmed. To this day, Renee Simard's disappearance remains an unresolved case. Without any concrete evidence to indicate her fate, all hypotheses are still being considered. Her case is a painful open wound for her loved ones, a story without an ending. The overview of the case is that a young woman who required medication and was struggling with her mental health went for a walk and was never seen again, leaving her family and community with unanswered questions.Last Seen: Mar 25, 1996
