We are nearing the five-year anniversary of the disappearance of Colten Fleury.
He was last seen in May of 2018 in PG and his mother Phyllis hasn’t lost hope that her son is still out there.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Phyllis said after making numerous trips to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, she has heard many stories that her son may have died within city limits – adding to her already high anxiety.
“It’s kind of just been a really bad roller coaster of you know where is my son? Could somebody just speak out, speak the truth or give a picture or location.”
“I nearly get sick to my stomach. Pepto Bismol is my friend sometimes, I am just trying to keep busy, and knowing that I am doing something good for others is basically my comfort I guess.”
Phyllis, who is also an outreach worker at the Central Interior Native Health Society on 4th Avenue said leaning on her higher power provides a sense of strength.
“I do go to street church every weekend. I have to get my strength from my higher power and block a lot of them stories out to live my life each day.”
Some of the stories she has heard about her son paint a very stark picture.
“I hear stories down here (in Prince George) that he was in a crack shack and they killed him and there is another story that somebody had taken him out into the bush somewhere and they came back all bloody and burned their clothes.”
“Another story that just surfaced was the tunnel toward the ballpark saying ‘Colten is buried here and then on Facebook, two people were saying that he is in Vancouver and been found and are speaking with the police,” added Phyllis Fleury.
With her faith in the RCMP waning, Fleury has taken the initiative in finding out more clues on her son’s file and bringing it to the police – only to be met with more resistance at times from officers.
“Because I am the one doing the groundwork and people don’t want to speak with the RCMP. As a matter of fact, the main investigator told me that he (Colten) probably went into the river and got washed up on the shore and the animals probably got to him. So, when I bring that to their attention I now speak with a different person now, I don’t speak with the main investigator.”
Fleury expects to attend a film screening on the Highway of Tears in Vancouver on March 28th and then head down to the Downtown Eastside to look for Colten.
“It’s been really hard. I actually had to take a month off of work and I might have to take more as the Highway of Tears movie came out and they interviewed me. I came out to the screening in Terrace and you would think after five years it’s ok to speak and I have been trying to speak and I would just break down every time that movie is on.”
Cpl. Gary Parish of the Prince George RCMP confirmed to Vista Radio the file is still open and under investigation.