'Praying for a miracle': Family members anxiously waiting for safe return of missing Whitby mother and daughter

Family members of two missing Whitby women are anxiously waiting and praying their loved ones will be found safe and sound after Durham Regional Police said the pair disappeared under suspicious circumstances Thursday.

Officers arrived at the home of Ava Burton, 58, and her 85-year-old mother, Tatilda Noble, on Thursday afternoon after they were called by a concerned family member.

On Friday, police said evidence of something suspicious was found in the home located on Scepter Place, just metres from the border with Oshawa.

Marcella Guthrie is the cousin of Burton’s late husband who passed away from cancer in May. She said she and Burton have a close personal relationship, and has been visiting her frequently since the spring to help and provide support.

“Very shocked and concerned for their safety,” said Guthrie, adding they’ve received very little information about the ongoing case. “We’re just waiting for some kind of information, some kind of closure because this is very hard to go through on a daily basis.”