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Jodi Henrickson case gets the assistance of IHIT

Case of Squamish teen who went missing on Bowen Island two years ago still considered solvable

Jodi Henrickson would have turned 19 last week, but in lieu of a party the missing teen was given the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team's (IHIT) attention instead.

IHIT will be heading to Bowen Island, the location Henrickson was last seen, to investigate in the coming days.

"(It's) very likely homicide is involved and it's our opinion Jodi never left that island," said IHIT Strategic Communications spokesperson Cpl. Dale Carr.

The Sea to Sky Regional Police Service, Serious Crime Section requested IHIT's presence on the case last December a year and a half after Henrickson's June 20, 2009 disappearance.

The Squamish high school student went missing after a night of partying on Bowen Island. When she didn't return home as planned on Tuesday, June 23, her parents notified police.

Since that time, the RCMP has conducted extensive interviews as well as land and water searches for her remains.

"Although we're not going to disclose the information we've gathered, the Sea to Sky Regional Police Service Serious Crime Unit had done a comprehensive investigation into her disappearance and throughout that they spoke to a number of people and were able to gather enough facts and evidence to make a presentation to IHIT that suggested foul play ...," said Carr.

"There are levels of cooperativeness that people have when police deal with them on anything... people give us a version of the truth and our goal is to seek out the truthful version.

"We feel very strongly that there are more people out there that have more information to give, that their versions are being held back or given to us for one reason or another and it's our job, our responsibility to pare that down and get to the truth."

A Facebook group with 4,585 members called "Let's find Jodi Henrickson!!" is filled with birthday wishes for the teen, including a photo of a pink and white cake baked in her honour by a friend.

Her older brother Rob James Henrickson has been acting as the spokesperson for the family. In the middle of the Facebook birthday notes, he wrote this message.

"Today would have been Jodi's 19th birthday, and instead of celebrating, my family and I remain completely helpless in the search for Jodi."

A cash reward of $2,000 for information leading to an arrest or charge in the case has been posted on the website for the organization Help Find My Child. Underneath it, another public message from Jodi's brother written on January 16, 2011.

"Our family now remains completely helpless, time goes by and yet we still know nothing of what happened to Jodi. Another holiday season has come and gone, and once again without Jodi, leaving something missing where Jodi's happy attitude and energy use to be.

"There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't think about Jodi, and how completely helpless my family and I are in the face of all this.

"All I can do, as I have many times before, is ask that if anyone does know something, please come forward. Even if it seems like the most useless piece of information, please come forward, it may very well be the key to ending what has already gone on much too long."

Anyone with information on the case should contact the general investigation section of the RCMP Squamish detachment at 604-892-6100 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.