An Alberta Toddler Went Missing 43 Years Ago & Police Think He Is Likely Alive Today (PHOTO)

Alberta RCMP are asking for any information that could lead to finding Jeffrey Dupres, who went missing 43 years ago when he was three years old.

In a news conference, Chief Superintendent Gary Graham, said police believe Dupres – who went missing from his home in the Slave Lake area on April 24, 1980 – is still alive.

Dupres was reported missing by his mother, Denise, at around 1:15 p.m. after he had gone off to play with a neighbour friend and the friend returned alone and looking for him.

In the following days, several witnesses claimed to have seen Dupres being approached by a female, a passenger in a blue Chevy or GMC pickup truck, and placed inside the vehicle. A man is believed to have been driving the vehicle.

"To this date, we have been unable to locate that vehicle or these two people," Graham said.

Despite Dupres being missing for 43 years, Graham, who is in charge of the Alberta RCMP Eastern Alberta District, said there is still "every reason to believe at this point [...] that Jeff is still alive."

Graham said that if he was abducted, there is hope that someone was "picking him up for a purpose and certainly wouldn't have been to cause harm to him."

Graham added that after police dog searches of the immediate area, waterways, abandoned vehicles, buildings and more, there was nothing to show traces of anything untoward happening to Dupres.

"We haven't come across a report of a deceased person or somebody without a background picked up by police," he added.

Slave Lake RCMP shared a new age-progression photo that could resemble how Jeffrey Dupres currently looks at the age of 45.

Dupres was last seen wearing a long-sleeved beige t-shirt with a brown trim, rust-coloured pants and dark brown orthopedic shoes. He also has one leg shorter than the other, so police believe he may still walk with a limp.

Mounties are working alongside a private investigator hired by the family to help with the search.

Graham appealed to anyone who thinks they could be Dupres to come forward. As they would have been taken as a three-year-old, they may not have any baby photos of themself, he explained.

They may also have an "external tibia torsion" which impacts the way they walk.

"You probably moved around a lot in your early life. Maybe you even feel like you're different than the rest of your family," he continued.

Anyone that believes they could be Dupres or has any information that could help with finding him has been asked to contact Slave Lake RCMP at 780-849-3999 or tips can by left anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.