Missing persons cases, especially those that have gone on for years without any substantive new leads, have a way of attracting the more supernaturally inclined.

Dowsers show up, divining rods and pendulums in hand, ready to assist with the search.

Clairvoyants speak in vague terms about a little boy with blond hair, distant valleys, perhaps the letter A?

And mediums write long letters detailing the missing person's death and their happiness in the world beyond.

Regardless of the contradictions, or your belief in psychic abilities, it's difficult to rule these people out completely, especially if the missing person is a member of your own family.

A missing person poster, featuring an age-progression sketch of Adrien McNaughton as he might look today (David Ridgen)

In episode eight, Shontelle McNaughton and David Ridgen get lost on the back roads of rural Eastern Ontario, searching for the remote town of Clyde Forks.

Two separate psychics, working independently, pointed to Clyde Forks in their readings of Adrien McNaughon's fate and whereabouts.

What are the chances that Adrien has been living out his life, in a secluded town an hour's drive from his family home in Arnprior?

Duane Babcock, a Clyde Forks resident, holding a sketch of Adrien McNaughton (David Ridgen)

Even if you only read horoscopes as light entertainment, there's no denying that these sorts of things fill a deep human desire to know the unknowable.

And on certain evenings, when the mind is searching for answers, who doesn't find their gaze drifting up toward the night sky?

Maybe the answers are hidden among the stars?

If not, at least the dancing constellations might serve as a comforting distraction.

​Someone Knows Something is an episodic series, best listened to in order. Click here to catch up on any episodes that you may have missed.

Show Notes

"He was a kindly man and only wanted to help..."

A psychic reading conducted on August 7, 1973 concerning Adrien McNaughton's fate:

Read the full letter

Ministers

A list all the ministers and student ministers who served at the Clyde Forks United Church, from 1897 to 2003 (as mentioned in the episode). Nan Barker was minister in 1972, the year that Adrien disappeared.

See the full list

"The boy is in very good protective hands in the spirit world..."

A letter from Psychic Investigation International who volunteered to help find Adrien:

Read the full letter