By: Green, Valerie
ISBN: 978-0-88839-725-6
Binding: Trade Paper
Size: 8.5" X 5.5"
Pages: 160
Photos: 52
Illustrations: 0
Publication Date: 2012

PR Highlights: The 1991 abduction of Michael Dunahee
PHOTO Highlights: Color Photos

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter

Description: In March 1991, Michael Wayne Dunahee was abducted from a Victoria, BC playground, virtually in front of his parents' eyes. Police were alerted within minutes of Michael's disappearance, and a full-scale search of the area was initiated immediately, but with no witnesses to the crime, law enforcement was stymied. There was no sign of Michael anywhere. The entire city of Victoria quickly mobilized to expand the search for Michael, and Child Find BC and other missing children organizations took up the cause. Very soon Michael's face and the story of his abduction were known throughout North America and eventually around the world, as missing child posters were disseminated and details of his abduction were broadcast via every available media outlet, including five appearances on America's Most Wanted. The Michael Dunahee case initiated the largest missing-child investigation in Canada at the time and raised awareness about child safety and child exploitation issues for both parents and the public at large. The Dunahee family, devastated at the loss of their son, nevertheless endured and focused their energy on helping other families undergoing similar tragedy. Working with Child Find BC and Child Find Canada, and supporting initiative such as the AMBER Alert system and the missing persons DNA database, have given them the strength to carry on and rebuild their lives. They threw their support behind annual fundraising and awareness raising events such as the annual Keep the Hope Alive fun run and the Tournament of Hope, with proceeds from both going to support the work of Child Find BC. In spite of nearly 22 years without answers as to what happened to Michael, they still maintain hope that he will one day be returned safely to them; and that steadfast belief has been an inspiration for families of missing children everywhere. Vanished includes an extensive appendices with details on technological advances in finding missing children, tips on preventing child abduction and exploitation, what to do when a child goes missing or a missing child is seen, as well as complete list of Child Find offices in Canada. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to Child Find BC.

Katie Lines, Chief Superintendent
Ontario Provincial Police, Criminal Profiler

Author Valerie Green is a born storyteller; I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. She compassionately relates the story that broke the hearts of both a family and a nation-the abduction of Michael Dunahee, and the strength of his family as they steadfastly maintained hope for his safe return. The reader can't help but share their unwavering belief that Michael, now missing for over 21 years, will indeed come home.

Ian Gordon Malcomson
Amazon.ca
April 2013


Local author Valerie Green has written this very important little book for all the right reasons: to draw attention to a worthy cause and keep alive the memory of a precious life lost all these years but, hopefully, returning to his family one day very soon. Green does a very capable job of recapturing that awful moment back in March, 1991, when Crystal and Bruce Dunahee's young son, Michael, was snatched from the playground of a Victoria elementary school. While the details are well known to most of us who have followed the story over the years, the author retells these poignant events from the parents' perspective so well, in fact, that I, as a parent and grandparent also, had no problem appreciating the depth of their loss. As you get into the chapters dealing with the follow-up to the initial tragedy, we are introduced to a remarkable couple who are not only tirelessly committed to finding their son alive but also key players in the Child Find BC movement to protect our children against experiencing Michael's fate. Their secret to surviving this tragedy, the Dunahees will likely tell you, is reaching out for support from the community at large. This book reviews how a lot of that support has personally helped the Dunahee family move forward in their efforts to make sense of this terrible mystery that, to date, has yet to reveal any case-breaking clue. What they have discovered is that their particular tragedy is shared by thousands of other parents the world over who are actively looking for missing children, and that makes their cause a truly heroic one.

In this episode you will hear the voice of Michael Dunahee himself. Michael's parents Bruce & Crystal Dunahee shared home video with Producer Laura Palmer.

Author Valerie Green wrote the book on Michael Dunahee's case. It's called 'Vanished: The Michael Dunahee story'. Valerie mostly writes local history books. And true crime represents something of a departure for her. But Michael's disappearance in 1991, is a big part of the story of Victoria.

Townsend Coleman is the voice of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 'Michaelangelo', one of Michael's heroes. At the end of each episode Townsend is lending his voice to a plea for information on Michael's case.

Podcast can be found here.