Lost Spirit | APTN Investigates

[Music] [Music] get down hide berned it Dennis recalls whispering to her sister after seeing headlights streak across the wall it was late Bernadet knew it was Dad they were supposed to be home we didn't want to get into trouble and go home because we were supposed to supposed to be home so we stay Stayed hidden in the house just teenagers hanging with friends in an empty house next door Stanley Peters calls out to his daughter no reply he drives away bernardet would never hear or see her father again that night never leaves my mind my dreams um if I was home if we were home to open the door then maybe dad would have stayed home um and then he wouldn't be gone disappeared um a lot of it is guilt knowing that if we open the door then he would be with us [Music] still what happened to Stanley Peters Story Goes he was a victim of a hit and run struck and killed here at this Crossing in the Village of Mount Curry there was a trial a man went to prison but Peter's body never was [Music] found that night Peters left his home in Darcy and drove the 40 kilometers to mount Curry the two communities are part of the lilat nation a two and a half hour drive north of Vancouver mountainous remote its ancient Beauty hides dark secrets secrets that some in this small tight-knit community have answers to where is Stanley Peter's body over the years the family have received many tips each tip sends the family out into this vast territory with hopes they find the remains of their father a lot of times my dreams are knowing dad is missing knowing he's gone when I see him in the dream I'm like Dad you know where have you been and you know so then he wouldn't talk to me he wouldn't sometimes look or so that's where a lot of times my dreams it seems like he's he's mad at me but because he's not talking or letting us know where he is and yeah every time we searched each area we went back maybe two times three times four [Music] times bernardet Dennis is the oldest of three daughters Sally Peters is next in line Lisa Peters is the baby of the family we still continue to search for our dad whenever we can and um we just marked it on on the map bernardette Dennis has many fond memories of her dad despite not living with him her parents divorced when she was a child living with her mother and stepdad moving a lot throughout the province but now qua was home it's where she felt grounded going home to visit her dad and grandparents on holidays she remembers the time on the land dipnet fishing at summer camp in nuaa she and her sister's visit with their Uncle Stanley's brother Mark we went me and my brother Stanley went way up there we went Pi some about six kids up there back in the day I keep trying to make it up there oh we do one of these days we'll make it up for sure we're going to have to hurry so that we're not older and out of shape all these dots just show it's taken me a long time to feel anything dad and I were so close that I thought well wouldn't I feel or have just have that feeling and know that my dad our dad is gone passed on Sally was only two when her parents divorced her father was a drinker at first their mother wouldn't let the girl see him she would beg and cry to no avail until one day her mom said okay visits became more regular she was Daddy's girl she remembers fishing and spending extra time with him picking mushrooms to sell to restaurants she was 14 when he went missing until recently she couldn't accept that he was dead it wasn't until maybe a few years ago I was listening to music on my phone and I came across a song that Dad listen to all the time and all of a sudden I just broke down and cried really hard like right from the gut hard and then I decided okay well I need to write my feelings down to Dad right now and go to the water and and read it and then burn it I smudge when bernardette brings her smudge to us I've never gone to Elders or anybody but that was like the only time I've ever done anything for myself and it it was mentioned that he was brought there in this area and I crossed the river when I was I think six seven months pregnant I wasn't taking no for an answer to go and help and search I went I wasn't going to get left behind Lisa Peters just a baby when her parents split up she had a complicated relationship with her father rumors that she was not his kid put a wedge between them when the two older girls went to live with them she stayed behind [Music] where we're at right now is the location of where our dad was hit and run the tree that you see in the background is where I um come to hang his pattern that he used to [Music] wear I leave things there on his birthdays or on the day that he went missing the sisters and I come here very often smudge and pray and pray for him to help us locate where he is knowing this is where my dad was last seen it helps bring us together to go and search for his [Music] remains Stanley Peters went missing in 1987 he was 37 years old the papers picked up on the story four years later the headlines were Stark police had charged two men in February 1992 Dennis Williams charged with Hit and Run Lawrence Pascal charged with obstruction of justice in the papers RCMP Sergeant Harry mcglaughlin laid out the story a tipster broke the Code of Silence including Williams six people were in the vehicle when Peters was struck this is what the family believes happened early in the morning of November 7th 1987 Stanley Peters was at a house party he left alone and walked down this road he crossed the highway and was set to hitchhike home to Dy at the same time a truck filled with young people left the community dance bered it tells us what happened next there was a wedding that night they had a dance so usually people come together it was said that um that truck that hit our dad left from that dance the driver didn't have insurance he stayed off the main road Road and followed this route ending up at the same road Peters had just walked down the truck crossed the highway struck Peters and sent him flying across this road so this spot we're just passing is where our dad was hit um and it's by the tree where he was hitchhiking home the night he um was hit and went missing the truck stopped they checked on Peters a heated argument started when they realized he was dead the question was what to do with him it was said that he was put under a cardboard box in the ditch here along this area and just across on our right um was an auto recer yard and it was also mentioned that they put him in a trunk of a car until they can come back and deal with him the family began to search at first it was Stanley's parents Rosie and Stanley senior that took on that responsibility February 2692 in 87 I started looking for my son I went to the RCMP and reported that my son was missing after a while we started hearing all kinds of different rumors many nights I couldn't sleep so I prayed the rosary all night the nights were long just when I get to sleep time to get up I dream about my son four times how I wish they were true then officers came to her door with news no mother wants to hear when the RCMP finally came to see us they tell us my son was hit and buried in a shallow grave somewhere and these two boys are being charged I was bottled up I couldn't cry for a while and I began to feel hurt in my chest so I let go I gathered my children and talked to them no violence no Revenge Revenge wouldn't bring back your brother and to be [Music] forgiving with some of them I can talk to and Friends with some of them are a part of my family Lisa Peters has lived here most of her adult life encountering those she believes are keeping secrets from her has been hard a lot of them that I see either walk the other way or just totally ignore me or Mount Curry has a population of just over 1,000 people in 2005 the sisters reached out to the Chief and counsel asking assistance with establishing a reward to help find their father's remains they wrote then and believe still Lawrence Pascal knows where the remains are Pascal lives two doors down from Sally Peters we knocked on his door to see if he'd agree to an interview hello do you uh talk to Sal at all you guys live so close together no once in a while when I see them it's about it but I went through court with the whole thing and then uh they threw me out of court so you feel uh the story's done then for you that was it uh I don't think so they still disappeared I don't know what happened to him lot of uh trailer tear same L of missing people yeah those sisters they want some answers I guess if if you know if you could talk to S what would you say to her no I don't want to talk to you about [Music] it Pascal later waved us down as we were leaving so let me get out here I'll just get a card here I I got to write it down man don't have a card write what down my information me a card no I got to write down the information I don't have a card oh that's okay then APN APN here it's important to keep in mind that Lawrence Pascal was not convicted of any charges in the death or disappearance of Stanley Morris Peters since expressing her concerns to Chief and counsel in 2005 bernardet has on occasion spoken and corresponded with Pascal even picking him up hitchhiking ap10 also tried to make contact with Dennis Williams He Lives 10 minutes outside of Mount Curry just down Highway 99 on this property we wanted to ask him about the night that Stanley Morris Peters was struck and killed we never got the chance we're here doing a documentary on Stanley Morris okay and we're just wondering if Dennis wants to he doesn't oh okay thank you oh so we have the right place you do okay all right and can I get your name Noe okay you can leave all right thank you March 29th 1994 Dennis Williams was charged with Hit and Run Lawrence Pascal was charged with obstruction when the arrests were made police were confident they knew where the body was our CMP searched at least two locations for the unmarked grave despite bringing in their top forensic archaeologist they struck out the family has heard heard rumors the body has moved when word gets out about its location how would you feel too you know if that happened that you can never you can never catch up to what you're looking for four decades later Stanley's dad still dreams about his son hi Grandpa Stanley Peter senior is in his 90s now love you I have dreams you know and the old people says you know he's trying to tell to tell them just go on with your life and yours will lighten up but it seems like we can't do that you know because it's in your system now since Peter's disappearance the family began receiving tips that Stanley was seen alive it sent them across North America searching in vain oh I went all over my wife and I went from here States way up North as far as I can go he believes now they received false information from the people involved people in the community what hurt me more was you know they they were nice people and like that but they drank you know and when they ran over my Stanley on November 16th 1994 Williams was found guilty he spent 18 months in jail Williams admitted he was driving the vehicle striking a person sending the victim flying 60 ft a pastor in the truck Justin Nelson testified Williams got the others to agree to remain silent he left the scene but came back an hour later the body had disappeared you get 14 months for killing my son you know that's a that's a dirty thing I said you know you guys admit you've done it and everything like that you're all drunk a witness happened upon the scene Jon Jones testified he saw Pascal drag a body across the birkenhead river and threatened to kill anyone who talked the judge ruled Jones's testimony was not reliable because Jones was intoxicated Pascal was found not guilty in his judgment Justice Edwards hoped anyone with information would come forward to elay the grief of the Peters family noting the community has suffered considerable anxiety and tension over the years dozens and dozens of tips have been received but it's hard to discern what's in good faith and what is misinformation we were told um from that very first night that one person alone carried our Dad's Body across the river and hid hid his body on the island area disturbing rumors that their father's body may have been put in this woodwor waist burner or buried under this Old Bridge uh we were told that they put them underneath the bridge another tip sent the sisters out to a place called Hindu Flats people in the truck that night were seen here standing around with shovels the family doesn't take rumors as fact there is skepticism towards what they hear the multiple searches are a reaction to what they are told it puts in sharp Focus the ongoing heartache and pain suffered by a family desperate for closure for the sisters it's a horror show they can only hope someday someone will tell them the truth every clue that we get we hope that this is it we're going to find him and but we still haven't this past November members of the lilat community joined the family in Mount Curry to honor their father's memory and take part in ceremony today is all about Stanley Morris Peters Jr you know we're taking care of his Spirit just have to learn how to believe in the prayer believe in each other and take care of one another we will get there galap and Snuka I love each and every one of you we're going to be calling his spirit and we're going to use this tie this was done in order to walk Stanley Peter Spirit home to nuaa starting at the place he was struck and killed we miss him he disappeared for a long time we thought he just left and we never really got to deal with or to take care of her spirit and bring him home who was Stanley Morris Peters Jr he was a lot of things to a lot of [Music] people described as funloving a logger his dad Stanley senior most of the time he spent his time in the mountain he enjoyed that kind of life like I did he said I enjoy myself because I'm free his brother Tim he taught me how to box even though me being the youngest I went up the mountain with him and he he he showed me some spots where I've never ever been before and I couldn't believe it used to have so much fun you know it was all about fun [Music] he was like doing this to us when we were babies his daughter Sally we turned around laid on the beach and we were looking at the stars and he was talking about the Milky Way and everything and so yeah he loved talking about the stars and what's the final question what is Stanley Peters Legacy bernardette finds comfort in this poem a gift from her sister-in-law you are living in the hearts and memories of every life you ever touched I know where you are you are in the midst and the storm clouds you are in the brightest hottest sunshine you are the beginning and ending of a perfect day well done my mighty friend you can rest now in peace we all know where you are [Music]

Channel: APTN News

Views: 6,032

Keywords: aptn, national, news

Id: OxRmjtpbl_I

Length: 23min 52sec (1432 seconds)

Published: Sat May 04 2024