The recent reunion between a mother and son in Ontario after the two were apart for more than three decades was the result of decades of police work by investigators across North America and the lead investigator on the case was a member of the Calgary Police Service.
According to police, Lynneth Mann-Lewis’ 21-month-old son was abducted by Allan Mann, the boy’s father, in 1987 during a court ordered visit near Toronto. The young boy was taken to the United States where he was told his mother had died and the father and son began living under assumed identities.
Ted Davis, a senior investigator with the Missing Children’s Society of Canada who had previously worked for the Calgary Police Service, led the investigation into the abduction.
“It’s like looking for a need in a haystack and we had a big, big haystack,” Davis told CTV Calgary on Monday. “It was an intense file. We did, I’m going to guess, 3,000 to 4,000 interviews. We travelled to eastern Canada and North Carolina.”
Davis remained steadfast in his commitment to reuniting Lynneth with her son. “I told her a ways into the investigation that I wouldn’t retire until we find Jermaine.”
Facial recognition technology helped break the case. Allan Mann, 66, was arrested on Friday, October 26 and the now 33-year-old son of Lynneth was reunited with his mother for the first time in 31 years. Davis was in attendance for the reunion.
“He made a promise to Lynneth and her family that he would do everything he could in his power to make sure Jermaine is brought home and he did,” said Amanda Pick, CEO of the Missing Children’s Society of Canada.
Jermaine continues to reside in Connecticut and Lynneth plans to visit him on a frequent basis. The mother and son have decades of tales to catch up on and Lynneth hopes their story gives hopes to others. “After 31 years of long suffering, one should never give up.”
Allan Mann has been charged with making false statements regarding housing applications in the United States and is expected to be extradited to Canada to face additional charges.
With files from CTV’s Jaclyn Brown
