New information leads to a mother’s plea to help find son missing for seven years

Winnipeg, MB: Today, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s MissingKids.ca program is issuing a public plea for members of the public to come forward with any information in the disappearance of Lucas Degerness. New information has come to light in the case of Degerness, who has been missing since 2007 from Prince George, B.C.

“MissingKids.ca recently received a call from a male identifying himself as Lucas Degerness. The nature of the call has provided renewed hope that Lucas is out there, but also significant concern for his safety and wellbeing,” said Christy Dzikowicz, Director of MissingKids.ca. “We need the public’s help to find him. Even the smallest piece of information could help bring Lucas home. His mom is desperate to see him again.”

In June 2007, after a meeting at his school with his mom and vice-principal, then 14-year-old Lucas spent the night at a friend’s place before disappearing the following day. He was thought to be carrying a large camouflage backpack. His family has not seen him since that day seven years ago. Lucas’ 21^st birthday was this January, another milestone his mom, Gina Degerness, marked without her son.

“If I could talk to Luke right now, I would say that I have missed you every single day. Please know that all we want is to hear from you and to know that you are okay,” said Gina. “We’ve missed so much of your life already, and we don’t want to lose any more time. We want you to come home.” *(Please see below to read Gina’s message to Luke.)

Lucas has brown eyes and at the time of his disappearance he had brown hair, a medium build and was 5′8″ tall.

Anyone with information regarding Lucas Degerness is urged to contact MissingKids.ca at 1-866-KID-TIPS (543-8477) or the police. Tips can also be submitted online at missingkids.ca. All information can be shared confidentially.

Message to Luke from Gina

“For the past seven years, not a day has gone by where I haven’t thought of you, Luke and asked myself where you might be. Although you’re a young man now, I still wonder if you’re safe or if you need help, if maybe you need your mom. I don’t want to have to ask myself these questions every day for the rest of my life. I don’t want your little sister to experience another seven years without her brother. I know how much you adore her and I want us to all be together again. She needs her brother and I need my son. Your older brother and sister have children they would like you to meet and your father, he desperately wants to hear your voice. There’s so many major life events that we want to share with you. Luke — if you read this, I just want to know that you’re okay. It doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past so please call me, or someone who can share the message with me that you’re safe. If anyone sees this and has even the smallest piece of information as to where my son might be or what may have happened to him, please do the right thing and end this misery by calling MissingKids.ca.”