Families see similarities in recent missing men cases in B.C.
Last Updated: Friday, June 13, 2008 | 10:49 PM PT
CBC News
Related
Family and friends say it's out of character for Daniel Bouchard, 20, to disappear without telling anyone. (Bouchard family) Concern and frustration are mounting among the families whose loved ones — all young, athletic men — have mysteriously vanished in B.C.'s Lower Mainland in the last year.
"Your heart surely goes out for all these people who have lost their children and haven't heard from them. It's only been four days for me and I don't know how they do it," said Dan Bouchard.
Bouchard's son, Daniel, 20, is the latest in a growing list of young men who have disappeared without a trace in the Lower Mainland.
Daniel Bouchard of White Rock went missing Monday night on the way back to his basement suite from a local pub.
Dan Bouchard hopes the public will help police find his missing son, Daniel. (CBC) His parents said it's completely out of character for Bouchard to take off without a reason and miss work.
"[Police] have been in constant contact with me. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to tell me much because they're not finding out a lot but I'm confident this is a top priority especially with what's happened recently," Dan Bouchard told CBC News on Friday.
Police have not drawn any link in these six missing cases but John Kahler's sister, Lori, said they bear striking similarities because the men all were relatively young, athletic and good looking.
Lori Kahler, whose brother John disappeared in November of last year, says the six most recent disappearances are strikingly similar because the men all were young, athletic and good looking. (CBC) "Between a lot of them, yes, I do see somewhat of a link," she told CBC News on Friday.
"The fact that none of these men have been found is very frustrating to me, because the closure point after seven, eight months is really what we need," she said.
Paula McElwee's son, Kellen, disappeared after a dinner out with friends three months ago. She said she couldn't help but think about different theories that may link the missing cases.
"Is someone kidnapping them and taking them to some kind of fight club and they have to fight their way out?" she said on Friday.
RCMP Cpl. Karen Boreham, who heads up the force's provincial missing persons unit, said there's no evidence of a connection in these cases.
"The least likely reason that you would go missing in British Columbia — whether you are a man or woman — would be as a result of foul play," Boreham said.
"The most likely reason that a person would go missing would be accident," she said.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Vancouver police have released video of a suspect who hit an officer in the head with a two-kilogram brick during the Stanley Cup riot. more »
- HIV-positive B.C. man jailed for assault, child porn
- A HIV-positive Vancouver man has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy and distributing massive amounts of child pornography. more »
- Canucks' shootout win moves team closer to West lead
- Ryan Kesler scored the shootout winner Monday as the Vancouver Canucks continued their bid for the Western Conference lead with a 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. David Booth scored the Canucks' regulation goal and again in the shootout as the team closed to within two points of the idle Detroit Red Wings atop the West and have a game in hand. more »
- Court injunction halts Invermere deer cull
- The Invermere Deer Protection Organization has successfully halted an urban deer cull, through a temporary court injunction against the District of Invermere. more »
Top News Headlines
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- The damage done to HMCS Corner Brook when it hit the ocean floor off B.C.'s coast last summer was more extensive than first reported, CBC News has learned by obtaining exclusive pictures of the submarine. more »
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- An Ontario Superior Court judge has struck down a mandatory minimum sentence for a first offence of possessing a loaded firearm. more »
- O Canada! 12 Flag Day stories of patriotism
- Ahead of tomorrow's Flag Day celebrations, our readers shared some of their proudest Canadian moments. Here are some of the best. more »
- UN raises fears of civil war in Syria
- Syrian government forces renewed their assault on the rebellious city of Homs on Tuesday, activists said, as the UN human rights chief raised fears of civil war. more »
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- HIV-positive B.C. man jailed for assault, child porn
- B.C. drops plan to televise Vancouver riot trials
- 'Disgusting' court backlog may free hit and run accused
- Osoyoos Times apologizes for 'slanderous' RCMP article
- B.C. Mountie pleads not guilty in fatal Delta crash
- B.C. premier delivers talk show 'throne speech'
- Crane drops section of Port Mann bridge into B.C. river
- Court injunction halts Invermere deer cull

