David Fortin was 14 when he left his home in Alma, in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec, on the morning of February 10, 2009. He was last seen leaving around 7:50 a.m., dressed in a red winter jacket with Polaris on the back, blue jeans, a black hoodie and a grey toque, reportedly heading to catch the school bus to Camille-Lavoie High School. He never boarded the bus and did not arrive at school that day.

David had suffered years of severe bullying, including threats of physical violence he told his parents about the night before he disappeared. His family and police believe he may have run away to escape the harassment; the school had at times assigned a security guard to monitor him. In the days after his disappearance police and hundreds of volunteers searched the area, and investigators followed multiple unconfirmed sightings, including reports of a boy hitchhiking in Lac-Bouchette and towards Trois-Rivières and a truck driver who said he dropped off a similar-looking teenager near a roadside shrine five days later. Despite age-progressed photos and sustained efforts, no trace of David has been found.

David’s disappearance prompted the creation of the STAY program in Québec schools. If anyone saw David around February 10, 2009, or has information about his movements afterward, please come forward.