'Burst of emotions' for daughter of Patricia Ferguson after man charged in 1996 cold case

Publication ban lifted in Ferguson cold case Details can now be released in connection with the disappearance of Patricia Ferguson some 27 years ago.

A publication ban has been lifted on the release of details concerning Patricia Ferguson's disappearance in Pointe-aux-Trembles some 27 years ago.

Two weeks ago, Montreal police arrested 69-year-old Serge Audette in connection with her disappearance -- a case that had remained unsolved for nearly three decades.

For almost all that time, her daughter Sabrina Ferguson said she has been looking for answers about what happened to her mother. She told CTV she now believes she has them.

"I’m feeling relieved that someone can be arrested for what’s been done to my mom," she said.

Patricia Ferguson was last seen in Pointe-aux-Trembles in June 1996. She and her baby were sleeping over at a friend's place but in the middle of the night, she went to meet someone and was never heard from again.

Sabrina said she grew up thinking her mom had abandoned her.

"It’s hard to contract self-esteem because you’re (thinking) 'if my mom didn’t like me, who else can like me?'"

For more than 20 years, the case was cold, but three years ago, private investigators working with a victim's group began looking into the investigation and found holes in the police work.

The group partnered with a journalist from Noovo and found the man who last saw Ferguson, prompting police to re-open the case which led to the arrest of Audette.

He’s been charged with manslaughter and has pleaded not guilty.

Maryse St-Germain from Unsolved Murders and Missing Cases of Quebec, said she's happy that now Sabrina knows she wasn't abandoned.

"She didn't disappear because she wanted to – she couldn't come back," St-Germain said of Patricia Ferguson.

Sabrina said she’s gone from hating her mother to loving her, along with experiencing many other complicated emotions.

"It’s a burst of emotions. I just don’t know I can feel angry at times against him, (and) I can feel just sad about the whole situation," she said.

One mystery has yet to be solved, however. Even though the police made an arrest, they have not found Ferguson's body.

Sabrina hopes her mother's remains are located soon so she can give her a proper funeral, she said.

Audette, the man arrested, is now behind bars and will be back in court on Thursday for a bail hearing. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.