Missing person case brings familiar anxiety to St. Anthony

The search for Jennifer Hillier-Penneyis bringing up familiar, but awful, emotions for residents ofSt. Anthony.

Hillier-Penney's disappearancemarks the fourth unsolved missing persons case in 15 years for the northern Newfoundland town.

Mayor Ernest Simms says the latest caseis gripping the "close-knit" community where peoplefear a familiar ending to the story.

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"They've been through all of this before, on several occasions. And there's a lot of sadness on the go, even though we don't know what's happened," Simmssaid on Thursday.

"From the last number of years, people of course always expect the worst but hope for the best."

Others still missing

Since 2002, three others have gone missing from St. Anthony without a trace.

47-year-old Mildred Sexton was spotted leaving the town in April 2002, never to return. Andrew Sexton, 21, disappearedduring a snowmobiling trip with friends in 2006. Five years later,Cleon Smith went missing after leaving his home for a walk.

"There hasn't been a lot of success in finding missing persons in this area," Simms said. "We're very rural. And right to our town's edge, and within the town, we have rivers. We have trees. We have mountains. It's a very difficult terrain to search."

Hillier-Penney, 38, was last seen on Nov. 30. She is separated from her husband, DeanPenney, but had returned home while he was away hunting to look afterthe couple's 15-year-old daughter.

Search efforts are continuing, and according toSimms, the town is hoping for a better resolution to her story.

Divers looking underwater

RCMP Cpl. Trevor O'Keefe confirmed the search of the harbour is ongoing Thursday, with the assistance of divers.

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Extra police officers have been called into the Northern Peninsula community, along with a K-9 unit,helicopters and ground search and rescue.

O'Keefe said the harbour search was the result of information gathered by investigators.

Hillier-Penney's disappearance was deemed suspicious on Wednesday, one week after she was reported missing.

Her mother-in-law, Ruby Penney, has said her son is distraught and hasoffered a $25,000 reward for information about the disappearance.

'Unbelievable' someone could just disappear

Simms saidSt. Anthony residents are doing what they can searching their properties as the worry continues.

It's a difficult situation, one that's made even harder by the lack of information, he said.

"It's just unbelievable that somebody could go off on a snowmobile or just disappear or walk out of an apartment never to be seen again. That's very strange, very difficult," he said.

"Incredible that something like this could happen in a small town, and nobody know anything. That's my thoughts."

Simms saideveryone is wishing the best possible outcome for Hillier-Penney's family.

"Keep up the hope, because I think that's what basically everybody's living on now."