A British mother is making one last effort to find her son who disappeared from a Kelowna campsite 34 years ago.
Charles Horvath-Allan was just 20 years old when he was last seen in May 1989.
His mother Denise has made more than two dozen trips to the Okanagan since then, searching for him. Now 73, and her health declining, she is planning what could be her final attempt to find out what happened to her son.
Charles had been backpacking across Canada and had only been in Kelowna for three weeks, staying at what was then the Tiny Town Campground on Lakeshore Road.
He was last seen cashing a cheque at the Orchard Park Royal Bank on May 26.
Kelowna RCMP found his tent and personal belongings at the campground days later, but there was no sign of Charles.
Denise has recently secured the support of Vancouver-based Recover Agency, a pro bono missing person agency, and is appealing to the public for $2,500 to cover the following costs:
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- An updated age progression sketch by forensic artist Tim Widden;
- To set up and maintain an independent tip line;
- To print and distribute an updated poster across North America;
- Expenses for volunteer Investigators to travel to Kelowna and conduct interviews.
Time’s running out for me. I would just like to have peace in what’s left of my life.
Denise Allan
Recover Agency commissioned Tim Widden, a forensic artist, to create an age-progression image of what Charles might look like today, in 2023.
Donations can be made to the GoFundMe page.
The RCMP Serious Case Unit file (1989-21784) is still open.
Anyone who may have information about what happened to Charles is urged to contact Kelowna RCMP or Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers.
