It’s been one week since Joshuah and Aurora Bolton were declared missing, and six days since a BC-wide Amber Alert was issued in relation to their case.
The kids are believed to be with their mother Verity Bolton, grandfather Robert Bolton and Verity’s boyfriend Abraxas Glazov.
The latest information from police on Monday said that investigators believe the children’s abduction was “pre-planned” and they’ve been taken “off the grid” by the three adults they’re with.
Today, the family waiting helplessly at home in Surrey for 10-year-old Joshuah and eight-year-old Aurora to be returned went public with an emotional message about the children. They also provided additional photos of Joshuah and Aurora.
Here is the message in full:
Our family would like to share with you the love and joy that Aurora and Joshuah bring to our lives everyday. They are so much more than ‘missing children’, more than a few photos.
The love they share with their big sisters and brother is beyond beautiful and the impact on their siblings is so devastating. They love the time they spend playing with them, loving them and teasing them, it is a very big part of their world.
We have a routine at home, we share, we help, we tease and love each other beyond words. They are exceptionally close to their entire extended family and especially to their many cousins who they visit often, enjoy swimming, sleep-overs and playing outdoors, having the best time!
At home Joshuah loves to help with the cooking, but not the dishes. He loves to spend time playing online games, chatting with his best friends (but will drop everything for a walk with his Stepmom). He will run down from his room mid-game to give a hug & a kiss and share a silly video, or a ‘hilarious' fart joke.
Aurora is the sweetest girl and is an amazing helper too. Always keeping herself busy with crafts, trying new things and creating. We have a dance party with her before bed so she brushes her teeth for more than 30 seconds, then gets a special bedtime ritual of hugs and kisses. Both kids love a good ‘scratch-back’ before bed and we take this time to chat and connect with them one-on-one. They share their day, their hurts, their questions with us, and then go to bed with a good snuggle and kiss.
They love family picnics and movie nights with popcorn, making slime with maximum mess, trying silly experiments, playing silly pranks, water fights in the front yard with the neighbours, friends, play-dates and birthday parties.
Their home, routine, friends, best friends, many cousins, aunties, uncles and grand-parents miss them more than can be expressed. They are loved so very, very much, and are so very missed.
The family said it appreciates all the support and tips being shared with police, but continues to respectfully request privacy at this difficult time.
Meanwhile, the Surrey RCMP noted that it continues to pursue all investigative avenues in an attempt to bring Joshuah and Aurora home safely.
Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and report any new information to the dedicated tip line at 604-599-7676 or by emailing [email protected].
Anyone who sees the children or has them in view should call 911 immediately.
While the Amber Alert was issued on July 19, here’s a timeline of events since Joshuah and Aurora left Surrey with Verity for a planned vacation in late June:
