'I just want him to come home,' says wife of man missing for 5 months
As the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, Stephanie Beardy fears the worst.
Derwin Beardy, her husband of 24 years and father of their two children, has been missing since June 3.
"We are never apart," Stephanie says, fighting back tears. "Everyone knows we're always together."
Derwin was last seen June 4 in the Selkirk area. This summer, RCMP confirmed the 46-year-old was spotted near Highway 59 and Provincial Road 317, somewhere near the community of Libau, about 50 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Since then, Stephanie hasn't heard a word.
"It's killing me," she said. "I feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown. Sometimes I just want to do something to myself because I can't stand living without him."
Stephanie and Derwin were living in Brokenhead Ojibway Nation together before he went missing. For the past two months, Stephanie has been living on the streets of Winnipeg while she continues to search for her husband.
The stress has taken a toll on her health; she's lost 50 pounds because she's too anxious to eat.
Stephanie was told her husband has frequented Siloam Mission in the past, so she walks there every morning at 6:30 a.m. to see if he is in the area. No one at the shelter claims to have seen him.
"I just love him so much," Stephanie said. "I just want him to come home, I want him back. He's really nice. I don't know why anybody would want to hurt him."
Throughout the summer months, members of the Bear Clan Patrol helped guide Stephanie and her family as they searched for anything that might link them to his whereabouts. They haven't had any luck.
The family is now focusing their search efforts along Highway 59 by South Beach Casino near Grand Beach. They are hoping to find something before the snow falls, but Stephanie says it was hard to keep searchers motivated throughout the summer.
"I just want them to find him. They gave up so soon," Stephanie said. "I know it was hot and it was hard to search because of the heat wave."
Stephanie is hopeful now that it has cooled off, family and friends will help her look through bushes and fields for her husband.
"I just still hope I'll bump into him," Stephanie said.
Derwin stands 5-foot-11, weighs 154 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP at 204-482-1222.
