‘Holding out hope’: Community gathers to mark 21 years since disappearance of Tamra Keepness

WATCH: A community gathering was held on Friday in honour of Tamra Keepness, who vanished from her home 21 years ago. Wayne Mantyka reports.

Saturday marks 21 years since Tamra Keepness disappeared from her Regina home, but the community continues to gather to keep hope alive.

Keepness, who was five years old at the time of her disappearance, was last seen at her home in the 1800 block of Ottawa Street around 11 p.m. on July 5, 2004. She was reported missing on July 6, 2004.

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The Heritage neighbourhood community has been gathering every year to mark the anniversary, just a couple of blocks from the home where she was last seen.

“We are definitely holding out hope,” Natasha Kennedy, executive director with the Regina/Treaty Status Indian Services Inc. said at Friday’s gathering. “That is why we continue to partner with the Regina Police Service (RPS) to bring everybody together in this community.”

Over the past 20 years, RPS has conducted hundreds of interviews and followed up on thousands of leads and tips.

• Community keeps hope alive on 20th anniversary of disappearance of Tamra Keepness

Police say they continue to receive information and hope the case will be solved soon.

“I remember vividly that it seemed like everybody on the department back then was searching for Tamra so it’s important to be a part of it,” RPS deputy chief Trent Stevely said at Friday’s gathering.

“The investigation is still underway. We still receive information that we follow up on hoping to end it in a good way.”

Among those who attended this year’s event was Allan Lunan, a Regina resident who helped Tamra when he was a lunchroom supervisor at her school.

“It’s a shame that she still hasn’t been found and I do pray that they do find her,” he said.

Lunan knows the pain felt by families of missing or murdered children. Last month, the body of his son Aron was found in a field near Grand Coulee.

“It’s been really hard to deal with,” he said. “He was the baby of the family. Very very gentle kid.”

Police say events like this bring a sense of hope to the community that the case can be resolved.

They say even the smallest piece of new information could make a difference.