Sheryl Marie Sheppard
Aliases: Sheryl Fisher, Sheryl Sweeney, Blondie, Sheryl Dale, Cathy Viger
Case reference: 2008015499
Missing since: January 2, 1998
Missing from: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Date Of Birth: September 29, 1968
Age at Time of Disappearance: 29 years old
Ethnicity: White
Eye Color: Blue
Hair: Blonde, long
Height: 163cm / 5ft 4in
Weight: 48kg / 106lb
Physical Build: Slender/Thin
Notable: Sheryl has a heart tattoo on her left ankle.
Dental: Available. Stained teeth
DNA: Available

A Little Bit About Sheryl’s Case:
Sheryl was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario and attended Notre Dame High School until grade 10. She married at 21 but the marriage lasted less than six months. A second marriage lasted one year. Sheryl worked at Tim Horton’s at Sanford Avenue North and Cannon Street East in Hamilton since it opened September 1997. Her fiancé proposed to her live on Hamilton’s television station ONtv on New Year’s Eve, she accepted a marriage proposal this television appearance is believed to be the last time anyone saw her. Friends say the two had dated for about two years, and he had moved into the apartment with Sheryl and her mother – Odette Fisher – a few months before. Lavoie claimed to have dropped her off at the Concord Hotel in Niagara Falls for a dancing job on January 2, but police say she never arrived at the hotel. The Concord manager said she was never scheduled to work his establishment and he had never met or hired her. Sheryl had reportedly stopped dancing approximately 6 years before going missing. She had no intention of returning to that life.  Friends and family say she had a stormy and abusive relationship with Michael Lavoie. On many occasions Sheryl had been seen with bruises on her arms, neck & face by friends /family. One friend had also alleged that he had witnessed Michael Lavoie grab Shery by her neck.  

She was supposed to have picked up her mother at the Pearson Airport January 4, but she never showed up. A check of her apartment turned up her wallet and identification. Foul play is believed to have occurred. On January 7, 1999 her fiancé, Michael Lavoie was found in a storage locker with his car running. He was treated and released from Henderson Hospital. In 2008, Lavoie was named the person of interest by the head of the Homicide Unit, Staff Sergeant Ian Matthews.

In 2011 the Sheryl Sheppard case also received some publicity for increasing the reward from $10,000 to $50,000 for tips leading to a conviction.

I came across a (since deleted) post from Michael Lavoie’s brother, Thomas. The text was hard to make out, but not impossible. It seems that even his own brother believes he’s guilty. It also sounds like he knows something. I really wish someone would speak up.

Bitter sweet anniversary. 23 years ago my brother Mike stole Sheryl Sheppard’s life in a fit of rage. With his bare hands he strangled the life out of this 105 lbs 29 year old Sheryl Sheppard and then cowardly disposed of Sheryl’s body. It would seem the murder wasn’t enough for my brother as he disposed of Sheryl’s remains like garbage. Sheryl Sheppard has yet to be found.
Like father, like son.

In 2016, Someone Knows Something with David Ridgen did a Podcast series regarding this case. Please give it a listen at http://www.cbc.ca/radio/sks

Hamilton Police Services – Sheryl Sheppard – Case number 08-501950
The Doe Network: Case File 2337DFON
The Missed Lives Project – Sheryl Sheppard Case
Canada’s Missing: 2008015499

If you have information on Sheryl’s case, please contact any of the following:
Hamilton Police Service:
Telephone: 905-546-3843 or 905-540-6477
Reference Case#: 98501950

Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477)
Online at: https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip
Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping

Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at: canadasmissing-disparuscanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca