Four years later, and still no leads on Dean Morrison’s disappearance

The mother of missing Merritt man Dean Morrison feels the trail has gotten even colder in the year since a private investigator renewed efforts to find out what happened to her son on a fateful October morning in 2013.

“It feels to me that it’s colder because [police] haven’t said one word to me about it,” said Morrison’s mother, Elizabeth Faber, adding that when she calls the RCMP in Kelowna they always tell her they will get back to her, but never do.

“I don’t know how to proceed when nobody will talk to me,” she said.

In an effort to keep investigation going, Faber is now offering a $3,000 reward to anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of her son.

To date neither the RCMP nor private investigator BCSI Investigations have shared any details of the information they’ve compiled regarding her son’s disappearance, she told the Herald.

Sunday (Oct. 22) marks four years since Morrison disappeared without a trace from the Stump Lake Ranch where the then 44-year-old had been working sporadically as a painter.

The RCMP, the ranch staff and community members all searched the property in the days and weeks that followed to no avail, and the trail went cold. During the summer of 2016, BCSI rekindled the investigation free of charge. In addition to investigating multiple leads, another search of the Stump Lake Ranch was conducted — this time equipped with a drone.

Although the addition of a drone allowed for more areas of the ranch to be scoured, the search failed to find any signs clues.

MORE: No closer to answers, three years after Morrison’s disappearance

VIDEO: Searchers fail to find sign of Morrison

Search for Morrison to involve multiple parties

Denis Gagnon, president of BCSI, forwarded a report of his finding to the RCMP last year, and told the Herald via telephone on Tuesday that he’s still waiting for them to respond.

“[There’s] no development,” Gagnon told the Herald. “We’re at a dead end at the moment, so I’m thinking of going back up to interview some parties again using a different type of interviewing technique, but right now we are at a dead end.”

Despite having other ongoing files, Gagnon said the Morrison investigation remains active for BCSI.

“We’re not going anywhere. It’s just going to take time,” said Gagnon, adding that the remoteness of the location and time that has passed makes this case a difficult one.

He said the RCMP and private investigators don’t usually share information, but he wants to follow up with police and put more pressure on them to share any feedback and their findings on his report.

“I want to know where they stand on the investigation and see if it’s still open, and I do understand case load and volume,” Gagnon said, noting he understands this summer’s wildfires took up a lot of police resources.

“We had substantial information that we provided them,” said Gagnon of the report.

RCMP Southeast District Major Crimes Unit Staff Sgt. Larry Brost told the Herald the case remains open and in the hands of the Kamloops RCMP rural detachment.

“My detachment did a file review in support of them for follow up recommendations,” said Brost. “A private investigator did approach the RCMP with an investigation… And we collect any information that might be of assistance to resolving the file.”

Brost said he cannot disclose what recommendations were made to the Kamloops detachment as they are part of the ongoing investigation.

“This is a review that would incorporate what the private investigator may have suggested, and whether or not it has any substance, that’s to be evaluated,” said Brost.

The Herald was unable to contact Kamloops RCMP rural detachment Staff Sgt. Doug Aired before its Wednesday press deadline.

Gagnon said Morrison’s disappearance was originally reported as a missing person case, but he’s approaching it as possibly something more sinister, believing foul play may have played a factor.

“I don’t have the proof, I’m still working on that, but I’m not convinced it was just a missing person,” said Gagnon.

Faber said she doesn’t know what Gagnon’s report found as he has not shared his findings with her.

“I would like to know, she said.

Gagnon told the Herald the findings of in his report cannot be disclosed publicly in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Four years after his disappearance Faber still don’t know what happened to her son and is asking that anyone who has information about this missing person case to call the RCMP or Crimestoppers.

Ranch manager Dan Fremlin was the last known person to see Morrison. He said he saw him at the ranch at about 9 a.m. on oct. 22, 2013 trying to start a van he had left on the property and looking “wasted.”

Fremlin said Morrison appeared to want to leave the property and they ended up getting a tow truck to come pick him up and along with the vehicle. Morrison was tasked with cleaning up his work space in the interim. The tow truck arrived at about 11 a.m., but Morrison was nowhere to be found. Fremlin searched the buildings for him to no avail and the tow truck left by about 1 p.m.

Morrison was reported missing about a week later by his family.

After Morrison’s disappearance, Fremlin said the ranch dedicated at least one staff member for the next three weeks to search the area for him.