Photo of Dylan Koshman.

The mother of an Edmonton man who vanished more than three years ago is helping push a bill into Parliament that could create a national DNA bank specifically for missing people.

It's true that a nation-wide DNA bank already exists, however, it is only used to collect DNA from convicted offenders or crime scenes. It does not collect the DNA of missing people.

Melanie Alix - the mother of Dylan Koshman, 21 who disappeared from south Edmonton in Oct. 2009 - hopes all that is about to change.

"I just assumed they had this across Canada," said Alix from her Saskatchewan home.

"I never realized until Lindsey's Law that we don't."

Lindsey's Law is an Act that calls on all Canadian politicians to pass the bill that would create a data DNA bank for the missing.

That DNA bank would collect and store samples of the missing, or their relatives, and allow investigators to cross-reference DNA with remains.

"It would hopefully bring peace and closure to families who absolutely need it," said Alix.

"These families are in torment and I know this could help."

Alix recently received good news from her local MP Ray Boughen - he is taking Lindsey's Law to the House of Commons at the end of the month.

"One thing that really touched me was a woman in the States - her son went missing 11 years ago and since they have this data bank in the U.S., his remains were later traced to another state in a cemetery unmarked," said Alix.

The law has previously turned up in Parliament but has yet to pass.

Judy Peterson created Lindsey's Law, following the disappearance of her daughter Lindsey from B.C. in 1993. Lindsey was just 14-years-old.

Koshman disappeared from his south Edmonton home near 104 Street and 33 Avenue Oct. 11, 2008 after an argument with his cousin. That was the last time anyone saw him.

"We will never stop looking for him," said Alix.

JASMINE FRANKLIN | EDMONTON SUN

Source: sunnewsnetwork.ca