CORNER BROOK — As news of Carol King’s death spread Monday night the people who had been praying for her safe return turned their focus to offering their condolences to the family.
Ms. King, originally from Mattis Point, had been reported missing in Herschel, Sask. on Aug. 6. Remains found Saturday about eight kilometres from her rural home were positively identified as Ms. King by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police late Monday afternoon.
Ray Lucus of Stephenville Crossing went to school with Ms. King. He was a regular poster to the Facebook group “Have U Seen My Sister Carol King? Missing From Her Home Since Aug. 6, 11.” The group was deleted late Monday night and in its place Ms. King’s sister, Glenda King, started a new one, “In Loving Memory of Carol King.” By late Tuesday afternoon that group had about 290 members.
Lucas, like others in the group, spent the day trying to come to terms with the news of her death.
“I’m not doing too well,” he said.
Just after Ms. King’s disappearance was made public Lucas expressed his concern and hope that she would be found alive.
He tried hard to remain positive, but said when Ms. King’s car was found a few days after she was reported missing he suspected that something wasn’t right.
“My intuition told me that something was very wrong,” said Lucas.
He had hoped Ms. King’s car was ditched by someone who may have taken her as a way of preventing her from escaping.
Lucas said when a body found in the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon on Aug. 21 turned out not to be Ms. King, hopes were raised.
“We thought that it could have been a chance that she could have been out there somewhere, but still trying to find her way back to us.”
After he heard of the remains discovery on Sunday, Lucas said something told him it was Ms. King.
“I just didn’t want to believe what I was thinking inside my mind, because you just don’t want to think that.”
He has connected with a lot of people through the Facebook groups, including people who didn’t know Ms. King.
Lucas said people just took to her.
“We’re all emotionally devastated, saddened, shocked — whatever you can be, we are.”
He said the focus now was on sending condolences and thoughts to Ms. King’s family.
Andy Tobin of St. George’s also followed Ms. King’s story closely.
“Just being a closeknit community,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody around here.
“When a tragedy like that happens it sort of catches your eye more ’cause you see it nationally, but when it hits home it certainly affects you more.”
He was also a poster to the earlier Facebook group, but withdrew from it in the last few days.
“As the days went by it seemed like she was never going to be found.”
Now that her body has been found and will be returned home, Tobin said there’s a sigh of relief around Bay St. George.
“But also I guess people are pretty sad about it.”
Kenny Halbot of Barachois Brook said Ms. King’s death was a great loss to the area.
Like Tobin, he remarked on how a lot of people either know or know of Ms. King and her family. He said Ms. King was well known around Barachois Brook because she ran a store in the small community for awhile.
