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This St. Patrick’s Day marks 30 years from a day that has become infamous in the Pickering community, March 17, 1995,

Despite the years stretching on, people all over the world are still interested in this haunting case.

Aside from the sheer fact that six people seemed to vanish into thin air, there were other interesting — — aspects of this case that keep it a talking point.

It took 36 hours for Durham police to start searching Lake Ontario for the boys since police first received phone calls they were missing. The search was called off after 36 hours.

Thousands of volunteers, both in the air, on the water and nearby, searched for the boys, who were known to police, but an underwater search was never conducted.

Just three of the boys — Michael, Jamie and Robbie — were spotted on video surveillance entering the East Shore Marina on Frenchman’s Bay after they had left a party. This was at 1:48 a.m. Despite no sign of Jay, Chad or Danny on the tape, Durham police believed all six of the boys stole a 14-foot Boston Whaler replica and a water tricycle and died of hypothermia in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario after their boat capsized.

But there have been no bodies, no clothing or no boats that have been officially tied to the group of friends.

Police believe a gas can that was found 11 days later in Wilson, N.Y. belonged to the replica Boston Whaler. It was identified by a small dent.

But late private investigator Bruce Ricketts had several doubts about this assertion — one of them questioning how it landed where it did, when it should have flowed toward Toronto.

on the night he disappeared were also ruled out as belonging to him after a DNA test. They were found in the trash mesh at the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Station, next to the Niagara River, in Queenston in 1998. But Ricketts also had doubts about this investigation and the continuity of evidence, and wasn’t convinced that they weren’t Jay’s.

Ricketts had looked into the case pro bono for more than 13 years before his death in January 2024. He spent several days in 2018 sharing what he knew with the Pickering º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Advertiser.

The family was never granted access to the video surveillance from that night. But not long before his death, Ricketts had gained access to video surveillance that showed other individuals had been at the marina that night as well. He had appealed for them to come forward.

There is no word on whether anybody reached out to him.

Ricketts had gone down several paths looking into the possibility of a drug smuggling connection but he was never able to prove it.

Ricketts never concluded his investigation. Since his death, there has been no activity on the Lost Boys of Pickering Facebook page. But the interest is still there.

True crime enthusiasts with YouTube channels continue to delve into the case. The mystery is posted on blogs and social media. A lot of people have opinions but nobody has come forward with answers. Maybe one day, family members will get answers, but for now, it remains a cold case.

Anyone with information on the case can call Durham police at 905-579-1520, or anonymously contact Durham Regional Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or going online to .