Two Yarmouth families unite to grieve death, disappearance of loved ones

Kimberly Morton says the holidays are hard for her family.

It was four years ago that her cousin, 21-year-old Zach Lefave, went missing after a New Year's gathering. 

His birthday was only two days away. 

It was during those times that Stacey Cook reached out to the family to offer her support. 

Cook's son, Colton, was murdered only a few months before Lefave's disappearance. He would have turned 31 today.

"I went 72 hours not knowing where my son was and it was devastating," Cook said.

"Even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted, knowing and having him is a lot different than not knowing."

Cook added that she can't imagine how Lefave's mother must feel after four years. 

Since then, the two Yarmouth families have been coming together every January to remember the birthdays and support each other through the pain. 

"It's definitely helpful knowing that there are people out there that are still thinking of Zach," said Morton.

Private reunion

The families organized public events in past years to mark the birthdays and raise awareness of their cases. But they will meet privately this year on Saturday.  

Cook said the reunion reminds her that she is not alone. "You have somebody that has similar thoughts, feelings and it's nice to know that you're not going crazy," she said. 

'No closure'

The RCMP continues to investigate Lefave's disappearance.   

He was last seen walking along the side of Highway 334 near Plymouth, N.S., in Yarmouth County, shortly after midnight.

His case is included in a provincial program that offers a reward of up to $150,000 for information that leads to a conviction. 

Since the disappearance, the RCMP has collaborated with various agencies, including regional search and rescue teams and a cadaver dog unit from British Columbia. Officers from Yarmouth, Meteghan, Shelburne and Lunenburg District RCMP have all contributed to the search and investigation.

However, Morton says she thinks more could be done. 

"You have zero answers," she said. "You have a million rumours. It's a very small town. We know that people know," she said.

Convictions

Three men were found guilty in Colton Cook's homicide. Robert Charles Rogers, 57, and Wayne Richard Crawford, 36, were convicted of second-degree murder and Keith Arthur Siscoe Jr., 35, to accessory after the fact to murder.

Siscoe testified at Rogers's trial, explaining how Rogers shot Cook with a shotgun and attacked him with a blade.

The convictions don't bring her son back, Cook said.

"I see Colton's friends get married, having children," she said. "I'm happy for them. But then I always think, it could have been my son."

Morton and Cook agree that while the grief endures, they have each other for support. 

"We just want to celebrate their lives because they can't take that away from us," Cook said.