CANADA Canada - Michael Draeger, 60s, Victoria BC, May 2019 *hotel arson fire*

[kmclaren]

A historic hotel burnt to the ground in May 2019. The caretaker, Michael Draeger has not been seen or heard from since.

The article below doesn't specific his age but I believe he is in his 60s.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/police-plaza-hotel-fire-arson-caretaker-1.5194101

 

[kmclaren]

Pic of Michael Draeger

 

[kmclaren]

Still nothing on his exact age but I found this:

A former coworker of Michael’s, Wayne Kainciems, said he is close to 60 years old and doesn’t carry a cell phone or have social media accounts.

https://www.terracestandard.com/new...ker-in-downtown-victoria-fire-is-her-stepson/

 

[TheSecondLaw]

It is easy to assume that RCMP would be aware of by now whether Draeger is the mystery dead man found on Highway 37 and should be able to confirm or deny. Perhaps this is one of many cards that LE are holding close to their chest, and are wanting to first shake the tree to see what falls, so to speak.

 

[zecats]

Still nothing on his exact age but I found this:

A former coworker of Michael’s, Wayne Kainciems, said he is close to 60 years old and doesn’t carry a cell phone or have social media accounts.

https://www.terracestandard.com/new...ker-in-downtown-victoria-fire-is-her-stepson/

I wonder if he is suspected in the arson of the hotel. No reason I can see why, if he was the caretaker. Or if he witnessed something and ran off. With his resemblance to victim near Dease Lake, there's the question of how he ended up there? JMO

 

[kmclaren]

I wonder if he is suspected in the arson of the hotel. No reason I can see why, if he was the caretaker. Or if he witnessed something and ran off. With his resemblance to victim near Dease Lake, there's the question of how he ended up there? JMO

Police have not said anything about suspecting him, in fact they don't even say he is officially missing just that he is "unaccounted for".

Search

 

[LovesPeace2]

The rcmp are so right lipped there's so many missing and they just stay quiet .its frustrating

 

[zecats]

Police have not said anything about suspecting him, in fact they don't even say he is officially missing just that he is "unaccounted for".

Search

Unaccounted for means to me he possibly died in the fire. But I assume some evidence would have been found to support that. If not, and he obviously was not located there, I assume family has been asked. Unaccounted for for almost 3 months is similar enough to missing, IMO

My head has been spinning with all these BC cases and wondering with many others about possible connections and/or randomness of many separate crimes.

Thanks for the info and link. Appreciate it.

 

[LoisLane]

Is this a new thread started today or are there previous threads?

For now I’m sticking to MD being the deceased man found close to the missing truck in Northern BC. He matches the description IMO.

(the caretaker was approximately 60 years old, weighed between 180 and 200 lbs, 6 feet tall, and had short grey hair.

His wardrobe also mainly consisted of jeans, t-shirts, and runners.

“He pretty much kept to himself a lot of the time. I wouldn’t say he didn’t have any friends but he was a pretty private person,” )

The arson fire of the hotel was significant. It not only destroyed a slated for redevelopment heritage building it impacted surrounding businesses including City Hall who had to shutdown for multiple days. MD was unaccounted for, whether he started the fire or not he fled and has not turned up since. His known vehicle and trailer left behind. He may have planned his disappearance and new identity.

https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2019/0...r-remains-missing-5-days-after-downtown-fire/

 

[HockeyMom330]

Is this a new thread started today or are there previous threads?

For now I’m sticking to MD being the deceased man found close to the missing truck in Northern BC. He matches the description IMO.

(the caretaker was approximately 60 years old, weighed between 180 and 200 lbs, 6 feet tall, and had short grey hair.

His wardrobe also mainly consisted of jeans, t-shirts, and runners.

“He pretty much kept to himself a lot of the time. I wouldn’t say he didn’t have any friends but he was a pretty private person,” )

The arson fire of the hotel was significant. It not only destroyed a slated for redevelopment heritage building it impacted surrounding businesses including City Hall who had to shutdown for multiple days. MD was unaccounted for, whether he started the fire or not he fled and has not turned up since. His known vehicle and trailer left behind. He may have planned his disappearance and new identity.

https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2019/0...r-remains-missing-5-days-after-downtown-fire/

If MD is in fact the unidentified male found 2km (which is not a long walk) from the teen's burning camper/truck it would seem to be more than a coincidence that he would be connected to a known arson (hotel) and a possible arson (vehicle). I'm not saying that he is responsible for either crime, as the fact that he is deceased suggests he might be a victim, just that it would be strange to be linked to two separate cases both involving fire/arson.

Could MD (or whoever the unidentified male is) have been travelling with the teens (maybe he crossed their path somewhere around Dease Lake or at a gas station as a hitchhiker for example and they bonded because they were all from the Island)? Maybe as a group they met with foul play and he managed to stumble away from the crime scene injured, only to succumb to his injuries further down the road. Not sure where the boys eneded up, but this could explain why the deceased man was not with a vehicle.

 

[LoisLane]

Still can’t help but wonder if there is a connection between MD and the two men from Port Alberni.

Some interesting tidbits that could connect:
- MD is a carpenter
- his father was from Germany (deceased)
- Unknown family connections from Prince George to Saskatchewan to his hometown of Thunder Bay (his father’s second wife (mother deceased) seems interested in the possible relations to unknown family members across the country
- described as a loner
-laptop recovered from plaza hotel

 

[LoisLane]

Leonard Dyck from Vancouver has been identified as the victim found near Dease Lake:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/brit...hunt-charged-with-2nd-degree-murder-1.5224306

He leaves behind his wife and children. So very tragic.

 

[ToneHound]

Thanx for that info + link.
Looks like he was, sadly, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[YaYa_521]

A year after Victoria’s Plaza Hotel fire, investigation into arson and missing caretaker stalled
Posted April 30, 2020 3:43 pm Updated April 30, 2020 9:07 pm

Police say their investigation into a May 2019 fire that gutted a historic Victoria hotel is at an impasse.

Snip

Hotel caretaker Michael Draeger was reported missing following the fire, and is still unaccounted for, leading investigators to believe he may have died in the fire.

Police say Draeger has been named as a suspect in the fire.

Snip

Draeger’s file remains an open and active investigation, but there has been no social media or bank activity linked with him, police say.

Police have renewed calls for information from the public about the fire and the whereabouts of Draeger. Anyone with information is asked to contact Victoria police at 250-995-7654. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
#

 

[YaYa_521]

Missing Plaza Hotel caretaker may have died in fire, Victoria police say
April 30th, 2020UPDATED

Victoria police say the caretaker of the Century Plaza Hotel building, which was destroyed in a fire last year, is believed to be the only suspect in the arson and may have died in the flames.

Snip

“This file will remain open, however, after a lengthy and coordinated effort, there are currently no new leads to pursue,” police said in a statement.

Snip

‘Despite an exhaustive search, Mr. Draeger has never been found, leading investigators to the possibility that he may have perished in the fire. The file will remain classified as an arson. The missing person file associated to Mr. Draeger will remain an open and active investigation,” police said.

Police said Draeger is the main suspect in the fire and if he died in the fire, his remains would have been destroyed. The damage was intense with debris everywhere. The owner of the building also cleaned after the fire and did not find any remains.

According to police, no evidence of Draeger was found anywhere else in Victoria or otherwise after the fire.

 

[CuriousCookie]

The owner of the building also cleaned after the fire and did not find any remains.

Is it normal for the owner to be responsible for cleanup in an arson situation?