'We will not rest': One year after Cortney Lake's disappearance, the search goes on

Exactly one year ago, Cortney Lake went missing.

She was last seen on the evening of June 7, 2017 getting into a truck her ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Philip Steven Smith,admitted he was driving just hours after he was released from jail with the condition hestay away from Lake.

Police and her family believe she was killed, but they haven't found her body yet, and Smith the only named suspect by police killed himselfin November.

"It's been difficult. The grieving is ongoing, it's as fresh as day one," said Lisa Lake, Cortney's mother.

"It doesn't get any easier. The thought of her gone and not coming back is very, very difficult. It's hard to come to terms with, it's hard to believe."

Lakewanted to thank everyone who helped search for her daughter's body and phone in any information, and encourages others to provide any details they may have.

"If you know anything, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, phone the police. Phone the Crime Stoppers tip line. Anything and everything may be helpful."

"It's been a horrendous year, it's been difficult, the days and nights, the long evenings, the winter, it's certainly been hard," said Lake's aunt Donna Walsh ahead of the anniversary.

"But we remain focused, we remain committed in our attempts to bring Cortney home."

Search set for weekend

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is still investigating Lake's disappearance, said Walsh, and the family remains in contact with police.

She said they're still conducting interviews, and cross-referencing and gathering new information.

Lake left behind a young son and since her disappearance, a team of people have come togetherto help find the young mothersearching all over the northeast Avalon in an attempt to bring her family peace.

They've been dubbed Cortney's Search Angels, and this weekend, they'll get together again for the first major search since last December.

The group will search anarea west of Whitbourne on Saturday morning, with as many volunteers as they can gather.

"They want to get out and search with us and they want to share in our sorrow and they're there with us every step of the way," said Walsh.

She never thought she'd be sitting with her sister,helping her map out newareas to search for the body of her niece, but that's exactly where she is.

It's heartbreakingand "surreal" but the family is not giving up.

"It's like we're off in a horror movie or something. But the sad fact is that it's real and it's Cortney and we remain committed to this process," said Walsh.

"And we will not rest until Cortney is at home andat peace."

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