Ground and air searches took place over the weekend around McIntyre Creek and Fish Lake Road in Whitehorse in attempt to locate a missing 52-year-old man, according to Yukon RCMP.
In a May 17 release, police reiterated that they believe Chad McGill’s disappearance is “associated to” the homicide of James Richard Aikens, a 41-year-old man from British Columbia who was found dead on a rural property north of Whitehorse on Aug. 27, 2022. The Yukon RCMP major crimes unit is still investigating the death.
In a May 17 email, police elaborated on the association. McGill and Aikens were known to associate with each other and neither have been seen or heard from since Aug. 24, 2022. Investigators believe there is a link between the homicide and the disappearance, according to the email.
According to the release, the two-day search conducted by the Yukon RCMP major crimes unit and the Yukon Search and Rescue was prompted by information police received over the course of the investigation.
On May 13, police put out a release advising of the increased police presence in the Whitehorse area. Public safety was not at risk, according to the release. While police did not originally state the nature of the ongoing investigation, the release notes that the search was not related to two active missing person investigations involving Deanna Bailey from Whitehorse and Ramona Peter from Ross River.
As per police releases, McGill was in his vehicle — a 2019 red Kia Stinger with a British Columbia licence plate PB551E — in the Whitehorse area on Aug. 24, 2022, the last time he was seen. On the evening of Aug. 26, 2022, police found the vehicle abandoned on the Alaska Highway parked facing east between kilometres 1,474 and 1,476, which is located just east of Kluane Wagon Road.
McGill’s family and the police are concerned for his wellbeing. Members of his family say it is out of character for McGill to be out of communication with his family members for this long, according to the release.
McGill is described in the release as standing six feet tall and weighing 260 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a metal prosthetic left leg.
In the release, police are calling on anyone with information about McGill’s whereabouts, anyone who saw him or his vehicle in the Whitehorse area between Aug. 24 and Aug. 26, and anyone who may have interacted with McGill throughout the summer months prior to his disappearance to come forward.
Police are encouraging anyone with information on the missing man and homicide investigations to contact their local police detachment or the Yukon RCMP at 867-667-5555 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 867-667-6715 or online at www.crimestoppersyukon.ca.
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RCMP seek missing man whose vehicle was found near Whitehorse
Suspicious death investigated as homicide, related to missing man
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com