At the time of her disappearance, Audrey worked the night shift at the Nabisco plant in St. Davids. She had driven her friend/co-worker home after their regular shift saying that she would see her the following evening. This was the last confirmed sighting of Audrey. Neither Audrey nor her 1985 Ford Crown Victoria have been seen since.

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Audrey Desjardins disappeared on her way home from St. Davids canning factory
Website hoped to link Welland woman missing since 1996

(Archived) Sun Media, Nov 18, 2009

The case of Audrey Desjardins, one of those highlighted on the site, has stumped investigators and relatives for years.

NRP Det. Const. Deb Smith said the then 43-year-old woman was last seen 13 years ago after she dropped off a friend in Welland following a night shift at Nabisco.

As usual, the two women told each other they’d see each other again that night for work.

“No one ever saw (Audrey) again,” Smith said.

The burgundy 1985 Ford Crown Victoria she had been driving – a Mother’s Day present from her husband – has never been spotted, either.

Police carried out 35 dives in the Welland Canal and water bodies across the region over the course of five years looking for the missing woman without success.

The case remains fresh on the minds of dive unit members and others who’ve searched for Audrey, regardless of the time that’s passed, Smith said.

“It impacts everyone when someone goes missing. It’s not just the family that loses. It’s the community that loses,” she said.

“I think that’s what makes this project so special – we care.”

Gaetan Desjardins said he hopes the online database will help bring the family some answers about what happened to his wife.

“We may get some closure,” he said. “It’s almost 13 years ago. They didn’t find a car. They didn’t find clues. Nothing. There’s no trace. If you have a trace, you have something to go on.”