CANADA CANADA - William James Lawrence Hamilton, 24-25, Victoria, 1959-1960

[Romulus]

890DMBC - William James Lawrence Hamilton​

Name: William James Lawrence Hamilton
Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: 1959-1960
Location Last Seen: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Physical Description
Date of Birth: July 25, 1935
Age: 24 - 25 years old.
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Reddish blond wavy
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Slim build. He wears eyeglasses.

Identifiers
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Hamilton disappeared after he rented a boat and went on a fishing trip. The RCMP later found the boat floating empty in the water.

Hamilton did not attend his fathers funeral in August of 1960, and no family members have heard from him again.

A missing person report was made sometime after his disappearance, however the police do not keep missing person files that old.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: N/A
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: N/A
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: N/A
NCIC Case Number: Not Entered

Information Source(s)
Family Member

890DMBC - William James Lawrence Hamilton

 

[spartanx]

There is no information about this case other than the doe network... we are left in the dark with this case...
whatever the case
Rest in peace

 

[CanadianMissing]

@spartanx

There is more information, but it appears to have been lost over the years. The Doe Network file had more details, but I don't know why it's not there now.

I went looking for an article about his disappearance in the local Victoria Times Colonist, but couldn't locate one. I hope someone can succeed where I failed. Bill's daughter deserves an ending one way or the other.

A tip for someone, I never contacted the local coroner, nor did I research articles in the Pacific Northwest for unidentified bodies/remains. Perhaps someone can run with this?

His case file was at one time on Canada(Canadian?) Missing and Porchlight Canada.

These are the facts I remember (with help and corrections by Bill's daughter):

Bill grew up on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. His family relocated to Victoria after his mother died.

He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1953 to 1958 and was stationed at CFB Trenton in Ontario, where he got married in 1955.

Bill moved his family back to Victoria in late 1958, but after he soon separated from his wife, who moved to Manitoba and took their two children with her.

Also missing is a little bit of medical info (Bill previously broke a leg as a teenager), his school background (He's a graduate of Victoria High School and was a commentator for the Vic High Totems' basketball games and he assisted with productions in the theatre club.

If I can recall he was an avid fisherman and an expert with boats.

There was also the Canada Post letter received by Bill's wife before he disappeared. He told his wife if she needed to write to him, to send it care of the post office, general delivery.

The RCMP had a file and either lost it years ago or threw it out after it collected dust.

YouTube video about Bill, from the family, can be found here: