Beauchemin, Szeto, and Vienneau met private investigator Ellen White and Luke’s dad, Rob Jolly, at the apartment building where Luke planned to stay with friends the night he went missing.
While it’s not yet known what happened to Luke, supporters White spoke to believe he was the victim of foul play.  They also believe that Luke’s body may have been moved to this building.
Flashlights in hand, they meandered through the crawl space and brushed away cobwebs and dust in hopes of finding key items left behind: a blanket, Luke’s bag, and Luke’s signature purple belt.
    W5 Producer Eric Szeto and Director of Photography Jerry Vienneau accompany Rob Joly to a North Bay crawlspace where he and private investigator Ellen White searched for evidence in the disappearance of Luke Joly-Durocher.
They peered through the darkness, shined flashlights into crevices, and examined stains on the walls.  It was Rob’s first time in the building since his son went missing.
Joly and White’s unlikely partnership began in 2020 when Rob attended one of Ellen White’s missing persons events.
“Rob came to meet us, along with a poster of all the stories about Luke, and shared with us some of the things he had done to try and find his son,” Ellen told W5.  “And it was above and beyond … Rob really touched our hearts when he talked about hiring a tracking dog and walking the streets of North Bay himself, trying to find a trace of his missing son.”
Rob says the two teamed up as the case went cold.
“I think everything happens for a reason.  And having Helen come into the picture was a huge help for us.  It was a godsend… I just said you know what?  I will open up and tell you my story,” he told W5.
Luke Joly-Durocher has been missing for more than a decade.  His father, Rob Jolly, and private investigator Ellen White search a crawl space in North Bay in an attempt to find key clues left behind. 
Together, they are fearless.  W5 followed them as they knocked on doors in downtown North Bay — an area White describes as “disturbed” and even “unsafe.”  After several failed attempts, they located a tipster they had been hoping to talk to for months.
They have logged several hundred hours of visits, interviews and communication with potential supporters in Luke’s case.
“We have done a few searches and are planning more.  Ellen is so smart and knowledgeable when it comes to situations like this,” said Rob.
White’s research process began with a tip line.
“We maintain a line 24/7….  We’ll be doing Zoom interviews, over the phone, and in this case, we’ll be interviewing people on their doorsteps, in their homes.  Sometimes they wait for us.  Most of the time they don’t.”
Although Ellen has over a decade of experience as a PI, she’s quick to point out that Rob has a knack for that, too.
“When we started the investigation, we started getting tips very quickly.  We went to some sketchy areas and at first we had Rob stand aside while I knocked on the door.  He is one of the most admirable human beings I have ever met and would really comfort and empathize with the people we interviewed.  He was like a colleague during this experience.”
Ellen says Rob creates an environment where insiders are willing to speak up because he never judges them.
“People have said to us, ‘I’m comfortable talking to you.  But I don’t feel comfortable talking to the police.’  We said “okay, would you like to talk to the father?”  And in many cases, they have… Once they see that there is no judgment there, there is compassion.”
Through their work, Rob and Helen have heard many times that Luke may have been killed near the residence where he lived.  Over the years, much has been said about the case, making it increasingly difficult to sift facts from hearsay.
Luke Joly-Durocher seemingly disappeared in 2011. More than a decade later, his father, Rob Joly, and private investigator Ellen White, continue to search for answers.  They searched a dark, dank crawl space in North Bay for items belonging to Luke. 
In fact, in 2011, one particular piece of advice had a significant negative impact on research, with lasting effects.  Someone came forward claiming that Luke had been killed and his body dumped near his hometown of Temiskaming, Quebec.  The tip turned out to be false.  The same person was eventually charged and sentenced to prison for misleading the police in 2013.
Rob read a victim impact statement to the court, full of frustration.
“If your child went missing, how would you feel, let alone having to deal with these endless lies and see the extensive investigations that have been done…how much precious time was wasted and not closure,” she writes.
She insists that despite the emotional upheaval she’s been through, she’ll never stop looking for Luke.
“That was my son.  This is my son whom I love dearly.  And I’m here to forgive.  But I want to know what happened to my son….  Our family has suffered for a long time and we are still suffering to this day.”
Watch the CTV W5 documentary “Vanished” Saturday at 7pm