A memorial plaque for a Chilliwack woman whose body was found months after she went missing has been stolen.
“I’m in shock. I can’t even comprehend something like that,” said Alina Durham, mother of Shaelene Keeler Bell.
Bell, a 23-year-old mother of two, went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found in the Fraser River near Coquitlam on June 2.
In the summer of that same year, Bell’s family adopted a maple tree on Luckakuck Creek Trail, which had been planted two years prior by the Rotary Club of Chilliwack.
The plaque, featuring a photo of Bell and her two boys, was attached to a granite rock and set into the ground. It reads “In loving memory of Shaelene Keeler Bell.”
Alina and her husband Kevin Durham noticed the plaque was missing on Friday, Nov. 8. There was also a metal flower at the memorial site that was busted, and a rock which had the word “love” on it that was smashed on the bottom.
“I threw the rock into the bushes, I was so upset,” she said through tears.
She and Kevin typically visit the memorial site a few times a week where they wipe off the plaque and tidy up the area as needed.
On Nov. 8, she was going to place another item at the memorial when she saw the vandalism.
Alina contacted RCMP to report the theft and damage. Now, she’s hoping whoever took the plaque, or if someone happens to find it, they will bring it to the police.
“Please return it. No questions asked,” she said.
Anyone with information can quote file #24-49179.
