Frances Ann Young
Aliases: Fran, Caramel
Doe Network: 1645DFBC
Missing since: April 6, 1996
Missing from: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Date of Birth: January 7, 1960
Age at Disappearance: 36 years
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White
Eye Color: Blue
Hair: Auburn, long, curly
Height: 5ft 4in
Weight: 110 lbs
Fran was last seen wearing: A long black leather coat, blue jeans and a green sweater.
Details About Fran’s Case: Fran was 36 years old and was a pastry chef. She was last seen leaving her home by her boyfriend at 9:30pm on Saturday April 6, 1996. She had told her boyfriend that she was going for a walk. She never returned. Fran had been living in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver for over 10 years at the time she disappeared.
The following Monday morning, Fran’s boyfriend contact her family to let them know she had not returned. Her mother, Pat Cowan immediately reported her as missing to the Vancouver Police. The police response was not helpful. They noted that Fran had a history of depression and prior issues with heroin use and told them that she would turn up.
She did not. The family issued a news release. Unfortunately there was very little to no coverage of Fran’s disappearance. Her family took to posting flyers on telephone polls in the Kitsilano neighborhood and the Downtown East Side. That was when they learned that she was not the first woman to go missing – or the last one.
It has been suggested that Fran was a victim of Robert Pickton, however neither her DNA or personal belongings were not found at the farm.
Fran’s brother was quoted as saying that he believed Fran had gotten involved with the wrong crowd and ‘the party never stopped’. He also believes that ‘Somebody somewhere must know something’.
Her mother Pat Cowan fiercly advocated for her daughter. She contacted politicians, gathered signatures on petitions, networked on social-media sites. She launched a website, as well as a Facebook page, both called Find Fran (both of which appear to no longer exist). Sadly, her mother passed away in 2010 never knowing what really happened to Fran.
The Doe Network mentions that there was a sighting of Fran in Toronto, Ontario but she is still considered as missing. I am concluding that this is unconfirmed because I have not been able to find this information anywhere else and the links on this profile under sources have been disabled. I also haven’t found anything to suggest that Fran lived a high-risk lifestyle. She was working as a pastry chef at the time of her disappearance. While she had a history of drug abuse and depression, there was nothing saying she was struggling with either at the time.
If you know anything about Fran’s case, please contact:
Vancouver Joint Missing Women Task Force:
Contact: Don Adams
Telephone: 604-543-4857
Missing Women’s Tipline:
Telephone: 877-687-3377
Crimestoppers Canada
Telephone: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
Online at: https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip
Sources:
Globe & Mail
Doe Network
My Life As It Turned Out
Find A Grave – Patricia Cowan
Find A Grave – Frances Ann Young
Someone Saw Something 
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