The massive search effort for 36-year-old Sarah Ruth Kruse has been taken over by Yukon RCMP Historical Case Unit.

Kruse was last seen at her property near Kilometre 408 of the North Klondike Highway on May 27. She was reported missing last Wednesday, and Carmacks RCMP launched an immediate investigation.

The Historical Case Unit, now fully staffed with three full-time investigators, is partly mandated to investigate missing persons cases in the Yukon, police said Tuesday.

Last Thursday, under the command of Cpl. Cam Long, the Yukon RCMP’s search and rescue co-ordinator, a search party was mobilized at Kruse’s rural property to help continue the search efforts.

This included assistance from approximately 20 Yukon search and rescue volunteers, conservation officers from Environment Yukon, natural resource officers and support staff from the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.

Nearly 140 volunteer searchers assisted from last Friday through Sunday – one of the largest volunteer turnouts in recent history, police said. Volunteers helping the official searchers consisted primarily of family, friends and community members.

There have been nearly 1,800 hours of combined search hours, and about 60 ground search tasks completed by the searchers, with hundreds of kilometres of sometimes-difficult terrain covered.

Several remote locations have been checked by helicopter, ATV and on foot, and there have been multiple boat patrols of the Yukon River.

“At this time, the search of Sarah’s property has been completed, with no evidence to suggest that she is still on the property,” police said.

“We have not given up; search and investigative efforts are continuing,” said Insp. Lindsay Ellis, a district operations and support services officer.

“RCMP investigators are actively pursuing all leads, including checking other locations that Sarah has been known to frequent in the past.”

Many members of the public have asked how they can assist or volunteer to help.

“At this time, we do not have another known location to bring together a large deployment of resources,” police said.

“The RCMP asks the public to remain vigilant and to report any information that might help investigators find Sarah. Even the smallest detail could help provide a breakthrough in this case.”

Anyone with information on Kruse’s whereabouts is asked to contact the RCMP at 667-5555. Investigators from the Historical Case Unit will follow up on all information provided.

“The RCMP would like to thank Sarah’s family and friends, Selkirk First Nation, Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation, and the communities of Carmacks and Pelly Crossing for the outpouring of support shown to everyone on the ground in the past week,” police said.

“Many community members also assisted with providing food and water for the searchers. Our heartfelt thanks for your generosity and kindness.”