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Disappearance of Mekayla Bali

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Mekayla Bali
Born
Mekayla Margaret Kim Niebergall

(1999-07-02)July 2, 1999
Regina
DisappearedApril 12, 2016 (aged 16)
Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada
StatusMissing for 8 years, 3 months and 10 days
NationalityCanadian
Height5 ft 2 in (157 cm)

Mekayla Bali is a Canadian citizen who, at the age of 16, disappeared from her home town Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada on April 12, 2016. Canadian police (RCMP) were able to reconstruct much of her movements from the morning of the day she disappeared based on surveillance camera footage as well as witness statements. She was last seen at a local bus stop in the early afternoon, but after that no further evidence of her movements is available. Despite several reported sightings, no definitive clues to Bali's whereabouts have since been found and her fate currently remains unknown.

Because of the unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance, there has been continued interest in the case, with several media articles covering the story over the years[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. In 2019, CFRE-DT produced a feature on her disappearance[7], which won the Trina McQueen Award in the TV News Information Program category[8]. Her case has also garnered significant attention on Internet forums, and several true crime shows and podcasts have profiled her case over the years[9][10]. The popular The Night Time Podcast featured her case on August 15, 2017 [11].

Background

Mekayla Bali was born on July 2, 1999 as Mekayla Margaret Kim Niebergall. At the time of her disappearance, Bali lived with her mother Paula Bali, her aunt Rhonda Bali, her grandmother Margaret Niebergall and two younger siblings in Yorkton, a town located in Saskatchewan, Canada, where she attended the 11th grade of the Sacred Heart High School. Her mother described Bali as a shy and quiet girl, who liked to play the violin and attended the drama club of her school[12] [13].

Disappearance

Based on witness statements and a review of hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage, the investigators were able to reconstruct Bali's movements for a large portion of the day on which she disappeared. As a result, an extensive timeline of her actions from that day exists[4] [14]. However, despite her using her phone extensively over the day, no phone calls were registered and it is believed that she used social media apps. Investigators said that getting information from those companies has been challenging[15].

On the mornoing of April 12, 2016, Bali's grandmother dropped her off at her high school between about 8:10 and 8:20 am. CCTV footage shows her putting a binder inside her locker at 8:21 am. and leaving the school through the back entrance at 8:26 am. She was next seen by a surveillance camera walking southward along the railroad tracks.[16]

Eyewitnesses report that she attempted to pawn a silver ring at a local pawn shop. She then withdrew $55 from her account at the local TD Bank. Surveillance footage then shows her walking east on Broadway Street to a combined Tim Horton's/Wendy's restaurant, where she arrived at approximately 9:10 a.m.[16]

The cameras inside the restaurant show her buying a drink and then sitting down at a table. She can be seen using her phone, appearing to take it apart at one point and put it back together again. At 9:23, after less than 15 minutes, she leaves the restaurant, re-enters almost immediately, and exits through another exit.[16]

Over the next 25 minutes, she is spotted by several cameras near the restaurant. Her movements during this time form a wide circle where she searches the surroundings of the restaurant in a counterclockwise fashion. At 9:49, she enters the restaurant again. This time she sits down at another table. At 10:12 a.m., she sends a text message to a friend saying, "Hey I need help." but after a few minutes lets out a "Nevermind I figured it out." follow. She is again seen leaving the restaurant, only to re-enter shortly after. At 10:43, she walks over to an elderly lady and asks her for help renting a hotel room. After the lady declines, Bali leaves the restaurant. This time for good.[16]

After leaving Tim Hortons, she is seen walking west on Broadway Street East. After a short distance, she turns around and heads south on 7th Avenue. However, she quickly turns around again and continues west on Broadway Street East. For a little over an hour after that, her exact whereabouts are unknown, but at 11:35 a.m. she sends another text message to her friend: "I'll see you at lunch." At 11:59 am., she re-enters her high school but meets only two other students in the school cafeteria. She tells them she plans to take a bus to Regina for vacation and leaves the school at about 12:05 pm.[16]

Shortly after, she is seen at the local bus depot, where she asks the clerk what time the bus leaves for Regina. When she learns that the departure would be at 5 pm., she leaves the bus depot without buying a ticket. She is then seen in the restaurant attached to the bus station ordering lunch. Eyewitnesses say that she left the restaurant between 1:00 and 1:45 pm. After that, no one remembers seeing her, and she does not appear on any other surveillance footage.[16]

Developments after her disappearance

Search efforts

When Mekayla Bali went missing on April 12, 2016, the case was initially handled by the Yorkton RCMP, who asked the public for help in locating her on April 14, 2016 [17]. After three weeks, Yorkton RCMP handed the Bali file over to the General Investigations Section (GIS), a dedicated unit that investigates major offenses. On July 21, three months after she went missing, RCMP escalate their search by issuing a child search alert for the three provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba [18]. On the first year anniversary of Bali's disappearance, the investigation was handed over to the RCMP Historical Case Unit [19]. On July 31, 2017, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children joined the search effort and began disseminating information about the then 18-year-old Mekayla Bali [20]. In August of the same year, RCMP conducted a three-day, ground grid search in a wooded area near Bali's high school in Yorkton [21]. On December 11, 2018, an anonymous donor helped to double the reward for Bali’s safe return, from an initial $25,000[22], to a total of $50,000[23] [24]. However, in January 8, 2020, the reward was cut in half again after the donor needed to ask for his money back[25].

Possible sightings

Both police and her family received hundreds of tips to her possible whereabouts over the years including possible sightings. On October 9, 2016 it was reported that Mekayla Bali was believed to be in Vancouver. Her mother traveled to the city to set up a poster campaign in help for locating her daughter[26]. In 2017, the police service of the Tsuutʼina Nation reported that they believed that Bali attended an event on January 2017 at the Grey Eagle Entertainment Centre. In August 8 2019, Paula Bali received a call from a man claiming to have seen Bali in Edmonton. Her mother said that she is considering going there to investigate for herself[27]. Another possible sighting of Bali panhandling in Penticton was made in January 2020. However, local police was able to confirm that the person in question was not Mekayla Bali[28].

Public awareness and media depictions

From the beginning, Mekayla Bali's mother, Paula Bali, has continuously worked to keep her daughter's disappearance in the public's consciousness by organizing fundraising events and media appearances[29][30][31]. In August 2017, she gave an extensive interview for The Night Time Podcast. Being one of Canada's most popular podcasts helped her case become known across the country[11] and over the years, her case has been profiled on several true-crime podcast like Dark Poutine, True North True Crime, and True Crime Timeline. Also in 2017, Bali's disappearance was one of the 10 highlighted cases on the International Missing Children's Day on May 25 by The Missing Children Society of Canada[32]. In 2019, CFRE-DT produced the television feature "Still Searching: The disappearance of Mekayla Bali" which went on to win the Trina McQueen Award in the TV News Information Program category[8] in April of the following year as well as an Edward R. Murrow Award[33] in May of the same year. Also in 2019, Bali's disappearance was covered by the investigative duo Victoria Dinh and Alicia Bridges who wrote a long-form news feature about her case that included lengthy interviews with her high school friends[4]. After extensive video footage was released by the RCMP[34][14], her case was increasingly covered on video-sharing sites. As of 2021, YouTube videos about her disappearance have received several million views and thousands of comments, significantly increasing public attention to her case.

Theories

Due to the ongoing interest in her disappearance, her case has been extensively discussed online on webites like Websleuths and Reddit. Theories range from her running away, committing suicide, becoming a victim of Human trafficking to her being catfished by an online predator[35][4]. Jordan Bonaparte, the host of The Night Time Podcast, said in an interview "Initially, I thought it was a clear-cut case of a runaway teen," but "The longer it went, the less likely [it became]"[11]. Mekayla Bali's mother, Paula Bali, has said several times that she fears her daughter fell victim to human trafficking[36][37]. As of 2021, the RCMP still considers her disappearance a missing persons case[38].

See also

References

  1. ^ "Yorkton, Sask. teen missing for nearly two months". Global News. June 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "RCMP escalate search across Prairies for Mekayla Bali, 17, missing for 3 months". CBC News. July 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "Police looking for break on two-year anniversary of Canadian teen Mekayla Bali's disappearance". NBC News. April 15, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "I need help". CBC News. February 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Mekayla Bali's mom says Canada could learn from U.S. about searches for missing children". The StarPhoenix. May 16, 2019.
  6. ^ "La mère de Mekayla Bali garde espoir de retrouver sa fille". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 26, 2019.
  7. ^ "Still searching: The disappearance of Mekayla Bali". Global News. May 27, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Global Regina wins national RTDNA award for feature on missing Yorkton, Sask., teen". Global News. June 9, 2020.
  9. ^ "Dark Poutine recap: The disappearance of Mekayla Bali". Global News. October 22, 2018.
  10. ^ "Mekayla Bali – The Girl Who Vanished Into Thin Air". WiredupReport. January 11, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Raising awareness of Bali case". Yorkton This Week. August 22, 2017.
  12. ^ "A family's agonizing search for missing Yorkton girl Mekayla Bali". CKOM. July 6, 2016.
  13. ^ "Mekayla Bali's mom holding out hope 5 years after disappearance". CTV News. April 13, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "RCMP releases new surveillance video in Mekayla Bali's disappearance". CTV News. February 22, 2019.
  15. ^ "Messaging apps pose challenge in piecing together Mekayla Bali's disappearance". CBC News. February 6, 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Bridges, Alicia; Dinh, Victoria (3 February 2019). "I Need Help". CBC News. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Yorkton RCMP say missing teen may be in Regina or Saskatoon area". CTV News. April 13, 2016.
  18. ^ "Missing teen's mother hopeful after search widened to Manitoba and Alberta". Regina Leader-Post. July 21, 2016.
  19. ^ "Family of Mekayla Bali marks first anniversary of her disappearance". CTV News. April 12, 2017.
  20. ^ "Family looking for missing daughter in Pacific Northwest gets boost from U.S. centre". CBC News. Jul 31, 2017.
  21. ^ "RCMP wrap three-day search for missing Yorkton teen". CTV News. August 17, 2017.
  22. ^ "Family of missing Yorkton teen Mekayla Bali offering $25,000 reward". CTV News. October 6, 2016.
  23. ^ "Mekayla Bali reward increased to $50,000". Yorkton This Week. December 11, 2018.
  24. ^ "Anonymous donor increases reward for missing teen Mekayla Bali to $50K". CBC News. December 12, 2018.
  25. ^ "Reward fund for Mekayla Bali cut in half after donor asks for money back". CTV News. January 8, 2020.
  26. ^ "Mother of missing Yorkton, Sask. teen searches BC after receiving tips". Global News. October 11, 2016.
  27. ^ "Mother of missing Yorkton girl says tips are always encouraging after possible sighting in Edmonton". CKRM. Aug 23, 2019.
  28. ^ "Reported sightings of missing teen in Penticton raise false hope". Penticton Western News. January 8, 2020.
  29. ^ "Missing Yorkton girl's family marks her 18th birthday". CBC News. July 3, 2017.
  30. ^ "Mother of Mekayla Bali speaks for Missing Persons Week". CKOM. May 4, 2018.
  31. ^ "Mother of missing teen walks to raise awareness for all missing children". Regina Leader-Post. May 26, 2019.
  32. ^ "Ten Missing Children Cases in Ten Days: Mekayla Bali". Canadian Insider. May 24, 2017.
  33. ^ "Global Regina wins Edward R. Murrow Award for feature on missing Yorkton, Sask., teen". Global News. May 12, 2020.
  34. ^ "Video footage shows Mekayla Bali approaching a woman at the Tim Horton's/Wendy's". CBC News. February 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Missing Saskatchewan teenager Mekayla Bali may have travelled to the U.S." Global News. July 12, 2017.
  36. ^ "One year later: Still no Mekayla". Yorkton This Week. April 19, 2017.
  37. ^ "Deriving hope from the darkness of the Ariel Castro case". Regina Leader-Post. October 20, 2017.
  38. ^ "Mekayla Margaret Kim BALI / NIEBERGALL". Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police.
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