Joyce Keepness (left), one of Tamra’s great aunts, speaks to the crowd at Pepsi Park on Friday afternoon. (Photo: Moises Canales/620 CKRM)
Reginans gathered together on Friday to show their support and love for Tamra Keepness.
The annual event was hosted at Core Community Park, also known as Pepsi Park, off of 11th Avenue in Regina.
It has been 15 years since Tamra was missing from her home on the 1800 block of Ottawa Street on July 5th, 2004. The next day, the five-year-old was reported missing to the Regina Police Service.
Hundreds of people came out to the barbecue on a sunny Regina afternoon. Among those who attended the event were some of Tamra’s family members, including her twin sister Tannis who was there for a brief time.
One of her great aunt’s, Joyce Keepness, shared her thoughts and feelings regarding the nightmare she and her family have faced for a decade and a half.
While addressing guests at the barbecue, Keepness held a sweater with Tamra’s face and the words “MISSING” above her photograph. Following her speech, she decided to give the sweater to Tannis.
The family hasn’t given up hope on finding their missing child, although the pain and heartache has plagued them for too long.
“We still have no answers, but someone out there knows,” said Joyce Keepness. “Someone knows where she is, what they’ve done to her. Come forward, please.”
Members from the Regina Police Service were on hand to assist at the barbecue.
When speaking to media, Police Chief Evan Bray admitted there’s no new information that gives police an idea of Tamra’s whereabouts.
“We get regular tips, and by regular I would say monthly, that give pieces of information. We investigate each piece of information that we get thoroughly,” he explained. “Yet, none of those have yielded any new information that helps us understand where Tamra is or what happened to her on that day.”
The Regina Board of Police Commissioners has authorized a $50,000 reward for knowledge that would lead to Tamra’s location. It was previously set at $25,000.
