CANADA Canada - Kristofer Shawn Couture, 25, CHILLIWACK, BC, January 2019

[dotr]

Mounties, family plead for information on missing Chilliwack man
"CHILLIWACK (NEW S 1130) – A man from Chilliwack hasn’t been heard from since January, and now, his mother is expected to speak publicly to plead for information on his whereabouts.

Kristofer Shawn Couture, 25, last got in touch with a family member from Edmonton at the beginning of the year."
RCMP Searching For Missing Man – Kristofer Shawn Couture – FVN

Kristofer Shawn Couture

• Caucasian male.
• Height: 173 cm (5’8”).
• Weight: 86 kg (190 lbs).
• Hair: Brown.
• Eyes: Brown.
  
• Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kristofer Shawn Couture is urged to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 or, should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

 

[grannygates]

“Evidence gathered by investigators indicate Mr. Couture recently moved to the Lower Mainland and reported to work in Maple Ridge on January 25, 2019 and may have attended a gym in Burnaby the same date. Mr. Couture’s abandoned vehicle was located a short time later in the Chilliwack region”

RCMP in British Columbia - Update: RCMP and family ask for public’s assistance to locate a missing man

 

[TatianaBarbie]

I had to map the locations in order to make some sense of the news release:

Google Maps

The news release doesn't mention where Kristofer was living, so it's hard to know how far away Chilliwack is from the areas he would normally be in, but it does seem far away from where he worked, and from the gym. I hope they can find Kristofer quickly, as an abandoned car is enough to cause great concern.

 

[dotr]

https://www.theprogress.com/news/up...on-man-pleads-for-publics-help-in-chilliwack/
>

Eva Couture points to a scar in a photo of her missing son Kristofer Shawn Couture, 25. (Jenna Hauck/ The Progress)
"Kristofer Couture moved to the Lower Mainland in January from Edmonton to work in the construction. His mother said he moved here because of a lack of work at home, and because he loved the weather and the scenery.

Kristofer reported to work in Maple Ridge on Jan. 25 and may have attended a gym in Burnaby on that same day."

 

[JadeSLeuth]

Gosh I wish info would be more forthcoming right from the start! Its always such tiny bits of info released initially, that only raises more questions.
Five months in and we can't even readily tell what the abandoned vehicle looked like, nor where it was found, or what gym ... Located where?

 

[dotr]

rbbm.
Emotional plea from mother for missing son


Kristofer Shawn Couture is seen in this undated photo. (Chilliwack RCMP)
"Kristofer’s vehicle, a grey 2000 Saturn with Alberta license plate BXZ 4755 was found abandoned in Chilliwack several days later."

"I’m missing a piece of me not knowing so I ask all of you to be my eyes, my ears, my heart and help me find my son, Kristofer," Eva told CTV News Vancouver.

Kristofer is described as a white male, 5'8, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Chilliwack RCMP are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kristofer to contact them at 604-792-4611 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477."

 

[ADKGemini]

UPDATE – Private Family Search For Missing Man – Kristofer Shawn Couture – Mother Hopes To Return In The Fall – FVN

Chilliwack – JULY 7 UPDATE – With some two dozen volunteers, some coming from Alberta, another search on Elk Thurston Trail started Sunday Morning. The search organized by a distraught Edmonton mother, Eva Courture. Her son has been missing since January and he was supposed to be working in Burnaby. His vehicle was last spotted in Chilliwack and he has simply disappeared.

Eva told FVN/chillTV ” I need to find him. Speaking with experienced hikers today they suggested fall when leaves not so thick. “

RCMP scaled back their initial search. There is no evidence whether he fell off the trail or foul play was involved. If you have any information or any evidence of his whereabouts, you are asked to contact RCMP.

 

[grannygates]

UPDATE – Private Family Search For Missing Man – Kristofer Shawn Couture – Mother Hopes To Return In The Fall – FVN

Chilliwack – JULY 7 UPDATE – With some two dozen volunteers, some coming from Alberta, another search on Elk Thurston Trail started Sunday Morning. The search organized by a distraught Edmonton mother, Eva Courture. Her son has been missing since January and he was supposed to be working in Burnaby. His vehicle was last spotted in Chilliwack and he has simply disappeared.

Eva told FVN/chillTV ” I need to find him. Speaking with experienced hikers today they suggested fall when leaves not so thick. “

RCMP scaled back their initial search. There is no evidence whether he fell off the trail or foul play was involved. If you have any information or any evidence of his whereabouts, you are asked to contact RCMP.

this is the first that we are hearing that he went missing on the Elk-Thurston Trail.


Elk Mountain Hiking Trail (Chilliwack) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Updated 2019 (Chilliwack, British Columbia) - TripAdvisor

 

[LadyL]

missing group:

Missing: Kristofer (Kris) Couture

 

[imstilla.grandma]

National cold case investigators have added the Chilliwack case of missing Kristofer Couture to their Please Bring Me Home website.

Please Bring Me Home is the brainchild of Nick Oldrieve and two others from Owen Sound, Ontario.

Each page on the site maps out the known facts of a case, and encourages the public to come forward, anonymously if desired, with any nuggets of new information.

“The amount of times I’ve heard from someone, ‘I doubt this is important, but…’ is unbelievable,” Oldrieve said. “They key to solving a case could be something as simple as, ‘I smelled a foul odour’ while they were out in the bush or hunting.”
Cold case hunters take on search for man who went missing from Chilliwack - Chilliwack Progress

 

[JadeSLeuth]

I've just learned that a friend of mine is close with Kristofer's mother. I do hope for resolution for her...

 

[Sillybilly]

National cold case hunters take on search for missing man last seen in B.C.
Kristofer Couture’s car was found at Chilliwack trailhead in January but there’s been no sign since

JENNIFER FEINBERG
Dec. 12, 2019 4:27 p.m.

Couture reported to work in Maple Ridge on Jan. 25 and worked out at a gym in Burnaby on that same day. His credit and debit cards were used fraudulently in April, but he never used his phone after Jan. 25.

Given the length of time and the above info re his cards being used fraudently, this does not bode well for a positive outcome to Kristofer's case.

 

[RobinCAL]

I really hope there's some news soon!! So heartbreaking for his mother.

 

[Sillybilly]

Here's a google satellite view with directions from Chilliwack to the Elk Thurston trailhead. Can't see lazy criminals driving all that way into such a remote location. They would need to get back to wherever they came from and in that case, IMO another vehicle would have been required.

Perhaps Kristofer went hiking on that popular trail and got lost. Such a theory however does not jive well with a credit cards fraud.

Map of directions to that same area.

 

[TatianaBarbie]

Here's a google satellite view with directions from Chilliwack to the Elk Thurston trailhead. Can't see lazy criminals driving all that way into such a remote location. They would need to get back to wherever they came from and in that case, IMO another vehicle would have been required.

Perhaps Kristofer went hiking on that popular trail and got lost. Such a theory however does not jive well with a credit cards fraud.

Map of directions to that same area.

Thanks for the map. I google walked Elk View Road. I was surprised by how many people lived along that road. The trailhead was about 11 miles from the center of Chiliwack. The road was a standard country route, until less than a kilometer away from the trailhead--that's when it looked more like a forest road (40 km/h). That is also about where there weren't any more houses. I was actually surprised--google showed 7 vehicles in the parking lot of that trailhead, and there was room for more parking.

 

[whiterhino]

Was any information released regarding where/when/who might have used Kristofers' credit cards after the fact? I was reminded of the case of Emma Fillipoff, where her prepaid credit card had been found and used by a homeless man (unrelated to her disappearance) who claimed to find it along a trail and used the card to buy cigarettes (allegedly). If a prepaid card can be traced, surely someones' personal credit card information can be traced.

Now also wondering, did Kristofer leave his personal items in his car? Just thinking of ways someone could get their hands on his wallet/personal info.

As suggested above, perhaps there was another vehicle involved? Perhaps more than one person who knew the area well? There's so many missing young men from B.C it's starting to look (Imo) a bit like the pattern we saw with BM in Toronto & the village.

 

[grannygates]

with the lack of details being released in a timely manner it feels like the case is not going to get any traction for attention and awareness publicly.

my original thought was man walks in to bush alone, suicide. but i agree the debit cards are so strange ? how did they get stolen ? wallet, car, apartment?

 

[whiterhino]

If someone happened upon an abandoned vehicle and helped themselves to the contents, why wait 4 months to use the stolen card? Wouldn't a stolen card would be used sooner rather than later in case the cardholder reports it?

Alternatively, if someone were involved (assuming it's a disappearance and not suicide) why would they wait until April to use the cards, let alone use them at all? Another thing, is it not strange that Kristofers accounts were not frozen or closed once he was reported missing? Or is this a LE tactic, to monitor any activity just in case? Whatever transaction happened in April must not have lead anywhere.

How many other people have had their vehicles broken into around that trail or any other trails for that matter? Tourists and non-locals probably use these trails all the time and any resident would know this. An unrelated crime of opportunity?

As stated upthread, it seems like the kind of area where a person would require a vehicle. Wonder where Kristofers phone last pinged?

 

[95NightTime95]

I find it unlikely that Kristofer headed out to Elk Thurston Mountain for a hike. If he left the grocery store in New West Minister at 1 pm (earliest) he would not have arrived to the trail head until 2:10 - 2:30 pm. Sunset on Jan 27 2019 was at 5:07 pm ... although it tends to get dark much earlier than this time (around 4 pm). Per the Elk Thurston Mountain - 27 Reviews hikers forum, Elk Thurston Mountain requires 8.5 hours. Although I'm sure it is possible to do a smaller portion of the hike, I still find it hard to believe someone would head out for a hike so late in the day in the winter time. I would be curious to know what items were purchased at the grocery store. These are my observations.

 

[dotr]

I find it unlikely that Kristofer headed out to Elk Thurston Mountain for a hike. If he left the grocery store in New West Minister at 1 pm (earliest) he would not have arrived to the trail head until 2:10 - 2:30 pm. Sunset on Jan 27 2019 was at 5:07 pm ... although it tends to get dark much earlier than this time (around 4 pm). Per the Elk Thurston Mountain - 27 Reviews hikers forum, Elk Thurston Mountain requires 8.5 hours. Although I'm sure it is possible to do a smaller portion of the hike, I still find it hard to believe someone would head out for a hike so late in the day in the winter time. I would be curious to know what items were purchased at the grocery store. These are my observations.

Welcome to Ws 95NightTime95, thanks for the information!