Found Deceased Canada - Brett LeBlanc, 24, Trent University student, blind, Peterborough ON, 17 Nov 2020

[GuyfromCanada]

On Friday November 20, 2020 Brett Michael LeBlanc, age 24 years was reported missing to the Peterborough Police Service.

Brett is a student at Trent University and was last seen late Tuesday night the 17th of November 2020 on campus.

Brett is legally blind. He is able to walk without assistance and typically wears black sunglasses. He is male white, 5ft10”, 169 lbs, brown medium length hair, thin moustache, wearing white high-top sneakers.

On Saturday November 21, 2020 Peterborough Police, along with Trent University Security conducted a ground search on Trent University property with negative results.

If members of the public, including Trent University Students have information on Brett’s disappearance you are asked to call police at 705-876-1122. Please see the below photo:

Saturday November 21, 2020 "Missing Persons Investigation"

Police seek public’s help in finding blind Trent University student

This is quite concerning. Where could Brett be?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

His fb Brett LeBlanc

 

[Sillybilly]

Oh dear ... 3 days before reported and Trent is right on the water

(image sourced from COVID-19 Update: Trent moving to a reduced campus presence with essential on-campus services only)

 

[bombardier]

Oh dear ... 3 days before reported and Trent is right on the water

(image sourced from COVID-19 Update: Trent moving to a reduced campus presence with essential on-campus services only)

Oh no! Looking at that makes me nervous, having some buildings literally on the banks of this river with no real barriers...my experience on a uni campus was there was a good amount of drunk people stumbling around coming home from the bar, so it strikes me as odd to have a campus laid out like this.
I am guessing the river bed drops off immediately so you enter and can't stand up at all. Would be very disorienting for a sighted person at night, much less a legally blind person. Hoping this won't be the outcome.

 

[TatianaBarbie]

Unfortunately, the Peterborough Police Service on Facebook doesn't have a post about Brett being missing. I always think that the police departments are missing an opportunity to get public help when they don't post about missing persons on their Facebook page. The Peterborough Police Service does have Brett's media release, and it was linked in the OP.

If you search Facebook for Brett LeBlanc missing, their is a post from Brett's mother, "CCL," with 130 comment so far. A few gave some more info.

Trent University on Facebook did have a post about Trent being missing, but no additional info:

Trent University (permalink)

I hope Brett can be found quickly, as it has already been 4 days. I hope he is just taking some personal time, and that he hasn't had a terrible accident, or worse. I'm surprised that neither his roommate (if he had one) nor his friends were concerned before Friday.

 

[Zion]

First post on WebSleuths! I registered here for Steven Koecher's disappearance, but recently saw this linked on social media. I'm also a university student in Canada (though all the way over in the West).

Will be looking back for updates...really hoping that Brett will be found. That large body of water is worrying...

 

[TatianaBarbie]

First post on WebSleuths! I registered here for Steven Koecher's disappearance, but recently saw this linked on social media. I'm also a university student in Canada (though all the way over in the West).

Will be looking back for updates...really hoping that Brett will be found. That large body of water is worrying...

Welcome to Websleuths, @Zion! Do you know anything about Trent University?

 

[Zion]

Not much, no! I've been to Ontario before but don't know much about their universities. I'm sure they're very different from universities here in the West.

It looks like they organized a search for today. I watched the video his Mom recorded and put up on Facebook today--one interesting note. She mentioned that he isn't wearing his sunglasses right now. They must have been left behind in his room.

 

[Ontario Mom]

My son and daughter are both in (different) universities here in Ontario and for both of them, ALL of their courses are online. Son has been on campus once since school started in the fall, and the same for my daughter. Same with literally all of their friends.

I wonder, does BL live on campus?
Was he visiting a friend on campus in the evening?
Anyone know what his program is and if his courses are also online?
My kids and all their college friends are sharing this on all their socials.
Hoping this young man is found safe, and soon.

 

[Ontario Mom]

"According to another social media post on Saturday, posted by Brett’s friend Lucas Charron, the search on Sunday was going to be focused around the Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Area off University Road near Trent. Charron said Brett could have easily gotten disoriented and lost if he decided to go for a walk in the area. "
VIDEO: Mother makes passionate plea to Peterborough community to help find her missing son

ETA: the Nature Trails off University خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[TGIRecovered]

I haven’t read every article but I don’t see any reference to trying to find him with his phone records. Even if his battery died before he was reported missing the information would be very valuable in pinpointing his movements in the hours before the phone died and any communication.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I haven’t read every article but I don’t see any reference to trying to find him with his phone records. Even if his battery died before he was reported missing the information would be very valuable in pinpointing his movements in the hours before the phone died and any communication.

I haven't seen anything about his phone at all, but maybe I've missed something.
I'm also not sure why the search is at the wildlife trails.
It's not really a close walking distance from the school's campus (30 minutes or so) and if he's legally blind, he's not driving.
So that one's a little weird for me.

jmo

 

[Zion]

I also don't understand why the search is at the wildlife trails. It seems like he could walk on his own, though with a stick. So he doesn't seem like the kind of person to get lost.

Questions I'm wondering about:
Did Brett have a history of alcohol or drug use? Perhaps he was intoxicated and got into an accident?
What was left behind in his room? Ex. his sunglasses, phone, wallet, etc.
When was the last time his phone was used and where did it last ping?

I hope their search was fruitful today.

 

[slowpoke]

Public assists in search for missing Trent University student | kawarthaNOW

LeBlanc typically wears black sunglasses — although, according to LeBlanc’s mother, did not have them with him when he went missing. While the police’s missing persons report states LeBlanc can walk without assistance, LeBlanc’s mother says he uses a cane.

(bolded by me)

I’d want to know why he was on campus “late on Tuesday night (November 17)”, and what is meant by late. Was for this some event? Who saw him?

I can’t imagine a partially sighted young person not carrying his phone with him at all times. I have an elderly father who has extremely low vision, and before dementia kicked in, told me his phone was his lifeline. But, then again, my father’s vision loss happened in late life, and he was not good at learning new ways to try to be more independent with blindness. We don’t know how long Brett has been legally blind, but the fact that it’s been said he gets around unassisted must mean he (up to now) has been successfully navigating through life despite his low vision?

eta: What I meant to say in regard to why I thought Brett would want to have his phone is because there are many apps today that can aid the blind, and I would think Brett is someone who would be making full use of them in his daily life.

 

[downfromthere]

<modsnip> Here’s a link to the Facebook event where his friend has been posting updates: SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR BRETT

The event description was updated recently with some useful info.

To answer the question about the river, it is a gradual slope inward from the banks. Surprisingly not too many students have fallen in albeit swimming is popular.

source: I am a student there

Edit2: verification of the social media event is located in this article: Public assists in search for missing Trent University student | kawarthaNOW

 

[Ontario Mom]

<modsnip> Here’s a link to the Facebook event where his friend has been posting updates: SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR BRETT

The event description was updated recently with some useful info.

To answer the question about the river, it is a gradual slope inward from the banks. Surprisingly not too many students have fallen in albeit swimming is popular.

source: I am a student there

Edit2: verification of the social media event is located in this article: Public assists in search for missing Trent University student | kawarthaNOW

Thank you for sharing the link to the public FIND page for Brett.

 

[NaanOfYourBusiness]

Weather is getting colder drastically in the Kawartha Lakes. Hope Brett is found safely and soon.

 

[NaanOfYourBusiness]

<modsnip> Here’s a link to the Facebook event where his friend has been posting updates: SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR BRETT

The event description was updated recently with some useful info.

To answer the question about the river, it is a gradual slope inward from the banks. Surprisingly not too many students have fallen in albeit swimming is popular.

source: I am a student there

Edit2: verification of the social media event is located in this article: Public assists in search for missing Trent University student | kawarthaNOW

thanks for the detail... what is this fall term 2020 like @ Trent... Are most classes on-line? Are there many students / faculty on-campus at all?

 

[downfromthere]

thanks for the detail... what is this fall term 2020 like @ Trent... Are most classes on-line? Are there many students / faculty on-campus at all?

Vast majority of classes are online, there are a few classes on campus that require use of the science labs. So very few faculty members are on campus, most are working from home.

There are quite a few students living in residence on campus, mostly first years and those with a disability exemption (typically upper years can’t live on campus unless they are working as Dons).

The staff that are typically on campus are food services, security, maintenance, medical staff and the registrar’s office. The only ones around overnight besides student Dons are security.

most of the buildings seem to not be accessible to students who don’t have on campus classes or dont live in a residence attached to it.

 

[downfromthere]

A photo of Brett without his glasses on was shared by news media Search continues for missing Trent University student in Peterborough

looks like his high school grad photo.

Tammy, who was mentioned in the article has created another public find group Help Bring Brett LeBlanc Home Safe!

However I think Global News didn’t realize she was quoting Lucas so I’m not sure if it’s legit. Other articles and a post in the find event have him saying the same word for word.