Sister of Abbotsford, B.C., woman missing in Costa Rica makes plea for information

Abbotsford woman disappears in Costa Rica The family of an Abbotsford, B.C., woman missing in Costa Rica is pleading with anyone who may have information on her whereabouts.

Vancouver — The sister of an Abbotsford, B.C., woman who has gone missing in Costa Rica is pleading for anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward.

According to her family, 40-year-old Jaclyn Ferland-Smith, better known as "Jackie," has been living with her Canadian husband, Sebastien Ferland, in Costa Rica for the last two years.

They say Ferland was the last person to see Jackie, on the evening of Aug. 17, 2021, at their home in Playa Del Hermosa.

The missing woman's parents called Abbotsford police on Aug. 20 to request assistance in finding their daughter. Then, they travelled to the Central American country, where they have remained since, seeking answers on Ferland-Smith's disappearance.

"It's not like her to disappear for this long. It's not like to her to disappear at all," said Jackie’s sister Candace Krupa.

Krupa said she’s recently returned home to B.C. but plans to head back down to Central America in the coming weeks.

The Costa Rican Judicial Police, a private investigator, the RCMP, the Abbotsford Police Department, volunteers, as well as Jackie’s family and friends are all involved in the search and investigation effort. However, Krupa says few leads have turned up.

"If somebody has helped her at any point in the last six weeks, maybe during that first week even, if there was someone that helped her, if you could please come forward," she pleaded.

Krupa said people claimed they saw her five days after his last official sighting, but no video evidence ever backed up those claims.

Ferland-Smith previously served as a military training officer, and Abbotsford police believe because of that, she has a wide range of contacts in Canada and internationally.

"We know that with Jackie's background and her contacts across Canada, we are hoping that somebody has talked to Jackie or may have some information that may assist us," said Const. Jody Thomas.

Abbotsford police can be reached at 604-859-5225.

Authorities described Ferland-Smith as a white woman with light-brown, shoulder-length hair and green eyes. She stands 5'8" tall, weighs 141 pounds, and is "very physically fit," police said.

Krupa is also pleading with her sister to reach out.

"We miss you and hope you're OK, wherever you are, and if you could just reach out and let us know that."