Yukon RCMP step up search for missing man near Whitehorse
Yukon RCMP are intensifying their search for a man missing since last August and whose disappearance police believe is connected to an unsolved homicide.
Police and crews from Yukon Search and Rescue scoured the area near Fish Lake, a popular recreation area in Whitehorse, over the past weekend.
They were looking for clues to help them determine the whereabouts of Chad Oliver McGill, a B.C. man who has been missing since August 24 2022. Police say his "associate," James Richard Aikens, was found dead between Whitehorse and Haines Junction three days later.
Police believe Aikens' death is a homicide. They've yet to make an arrest in the case.
Staff Sgt. Eric Lane of the Yukon RCMP said Wednesday the investigation into Aikens' death led them to search the Fish Lake area for McGill. He said current conditions in the bush — the snow has melted but summer foliage has yet to fully appear — made the weekend a good time to search the area.
"We felt that this was a higher-probability area that we wanted to look at," Lane said. "And having done that, I think it's important to note that I don't think we're completely done with that area."
Lane would not say what police found during their weekend search. He said the presence of the nearby Whitehorse landfill could complicate the investigation, because material could have been blown from the dump to the Fish Lake Road area.
"We always do end up finding things, just ... how relevant any of those items are will remain to be seen," he said.
McGill is described as a 52-year old white male. He's six feet tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds and has blond hair and blue eyes. He also has a metal prosthetic limb on his left leg. McGill was last seen driving a red 2019 Kia Stinger.
Lane said police want to hear from anyone with information about McGill. They also want to speak with anyone who may have met him last summer, before his disappearance.
