It’s been a month since Madi Chard was last heard from in Port Hope.
Her dad last saw Madi (Madison) at 6 a.m. sleeping peacefully in her room on April 19, 2022. Hours later her mother last saw her as she left the house.
A short time later Madi was spotted on security cameras at 2:37 p.m. the same day and at 5:07 p.m. in downtown Port Hope.
Madi’s last text to her mother was at 5:40 p.m.
Since then the 29-year-old seems to have vanished and a parents worst nightmare began.
Madi’s father is too distraught to talk but has been posting on Facebook as much as he is able to.
Port Hope Police are doing their best to locate the woman, but haven’t been successful as of yet.
Missing for a month, Port Hope Police Chief Bryant Wood said, “the circumstances here are unique for Port Hope.”
“We haven’t seen this before.”
Wood said it is complex investigation.
“There are a lot of things involved in this investigation that are pulling us in different directions.”
The working is “painstaking” getting to know the woman’s background and any possible leads.
Police have a number of leads that Madi could be an unwilling participant in human trafficking.
“She could be anywhere from Montreal down through Windsor.”
As a result, Port Hope Police have sent out releases to police in those areas to help in the search.
“We’re getting assistance and tips as much as we can. It’s quite voluminous and our criminal investigators are sifting through that – but it does take time.”
“There are tips, but the tips are unsubstantiated at this point.”
Madi’s father Mark posted a few days ago that his daughter is an addict who was clean for almost four years and was battling with her medication.
“Home is her safe place and she’s loved dearly by her family and friends,” wrote her father.
On April 21, Chard went to the police station to put in a formal statement of a missing person.
Police pinged her phone and it came in at Philip’s Rd. Port Hope, Division St. in Cobourg and Baltimore.
“There were no texts or calls made from her phone since the 19th. Then her phone went dark.”
On April 22, Chard was told that his daughter’s phone had “showed up” at his daughters friends house.
“But there was no case or SIM CARD.”
The phone was given to police who are working with forensics to help determine if they can get any information from it.
Chard wrote that he believes someone has her and won’t let her go.
Wood said with the SIM card being removed, “that’s a sign that she’s being manipulated. Typically people that human traffic young ladies take total control of their life. They don’t pay them, they don’t give them any access to electronics or anyway to communicate with friends or family.”
“They usually use their historic issues. It could be drug addiction or anything else to keep them under control.”
In a short message to Today’s Northumberland Madi’s father said, “we are a simple small town Canadian family that never thought something like this would ever happen to us.”
A $10,000 reward has also been offered.
If anyone has information they are asked to call, Port Hope Police at 905-885-8123 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
