Missing chemist found safe in Western Canada, SQ says

Karine Major, a 26 year-old chemist from Rimouski, disappeared on her way to work May 9, 2017. (CTV Montreal)

A Rimouski chemist whose disappearance has concerned friends and family for nearly a week was found overnight--  alive and well-- in Western Canada, the Surete du Quebec confirmed Wednesday morning.

They are continuing an investigation into why 26-year-old Karine Major left left her home on Tuesday, May 9 and never returned.

Some media outlets are reporting that Major was found in Saskatchewan, but officials could not immediately confirm this information.

She was last seen headed to work in Amqui, an area nearly 100 kilometres away from her house. Major was last spotted in ATM video surveillance footage, where she reportedly withdew a large sum of money.

This was the first indication to investigators that Major's disappearance may have been premeditated, or voluntary.

Major's boyfriend, Alexandre Livernoche, took to Facebook to announce the breakthrough.

Earlier in the week, Livernoche took to Facebook to publish a long-winded message asserting his innocence in the case. He said that he'd been interrogated three separate times by investigators, and if asked to take a polygraph, he would submit "without hesitation."

Major's mother, Louise Moisan, told local news outlets earlier this week she thought there was no way that her daughter's diappearance was voluntary.