CANADA Canada - Ronald, 26, & Doreen Jack, 26, & 2 boys, Prince George, BC, 1 Aug 1989

[JanePelp]

I know. I have a degree in pure mathematics. Patterns are my super power. This was an opportunist who took advantage of this family and there is zero to connect him to really anything unfortunately. That's why it's so hard to solve. Other than the no cameras, technology, well, anything.

Okay.... lets go with that theory. Then, what is your opinion on the phone call about the ranch? Bad prank?

 

[seasideForest]

Kudos to you, @JanePelp for looking into this old case.

I grew up in Alberta in the 70's and 80's and certainly by the early 80's I was aware of lots of murdering going on in B.C. and I'd heard of a dangerous highway where young people hitch-hiked and they and women went missing, particularly First Nations people. Since then I have heard that the Highway of Tears might as well have been said to continue all the way to Edmonton. Highway 16 does go thru Jasper National Park and on eastwards to or almost to Edmonton. So that's partly why I think more likely a perp from AB and B.C. rather than the US, altho I know it wasn't you who suggested the US.

MOO

 

[Cedars]

Okay.... lets go with that theory. Then, what is your opinion on the phone call about the ranch? Bad prank?

Yeah, I think someone just had a grudge (or maybe suspicions) about that ranch owner.

 

[dotr]

Relatives of Prince George family of four, missing since 1989, mount new search

Ronald (Ronnie), Doreen, Russell and Ryan Jack were last seen 35 years ago after leaving their home in a pickup truck with an unknown man

vancouversun.com

“It is very important that the family remains in the hearts and minds of the public,” said Cooper at the time, saying police and the family were hoping the new images would lead to new information.
Article content
Anyone with info can contact Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or make an anonymous report to Northern B.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.''

Ryan Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Russell Jack age progression copy Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Doreen Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Ronnie Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

 

[Cedars]

Prince George is pretty much smack dab in the middle of BC. There's major highways north-south, which connect to the lower US and to Alaska, as well as the east-west highway.

The highway to the west, the so-called Hway of Tears, stops at the ocean at Kitimat, a primarily manufacturing and shipping port. IMO, it is very unlikely this person came to Prince George from Kitimat.

It's likely this person knew and had worked in logging, and logging camps, perhaps for a time at a camp near Prince George. Logging happens all over the US and Canadian Pacific Northwest, but very little happens east of BC. Over the mountains, Alberta, etc., is farming.

JMO

 

[seasideForest]

IMO, it is very unlikely this person came to Prince George from Kitimat.

Not from Kitimat, no, but could have been from anywhere else on that Highway or roads leading down onto it.
There are Albertans who work in forestry, for instance in B.C.! but also in northern Alberta. There is come and go between the two provinces, or at least back then (80's/90's) there was.

 

[legomonster]

There's just so many holes. The more holes, the more possible scenarios because of it being 36 years ago, in British Columbia, how long it took to be reported, and how it was/wasn't investigated. Let's dive in.

This is a young couple who like many young parents had several ups and several downs. Wife meets stranger and has her doubts and they try to arrange with brother/mother to take children but it doesn't work out. She was apprehensive about it, but eventually went with it, so, what doesn't stop them from changing their mind and deciding this was a terrible idea and decided to hitchhike back home? Then you have a whole different suspect. The logger wouldn't even think to check in on them because it's 1989 and again he wouldn't think nothing more than they changed their mind. They could have even got lost in the area. Even if they found their remains, it's been over 30 years and unless it shows visible homicide markings, it would be difficult to identify a cause of death potentially. I'm not saying these are the reasons, but it's very difficult to establish a pattern when we to literally anything when there are dozens (infinite) or more possibilities when all we have is point A. Point A is them leaving their home.

(2) Let's jump to modern day British Colombia. 30% (+) of Northeastern British Columbia's forests could be fully burned by the end of this year. I have been tracking the wildfire and extreme wildfire events in Canada the last two years. It's really heartbreaking to see in real time.

I'm always open to suggestions or ideas. If I am incorrect, it's all imo. But, that's how I feel about it at this time. I feel for the families. They deserved a proper investigation then. I am sorry this didn't happen earlier to when they disappeared.

 

[JanePelp]

There's just so many holes. The more holes, the more possible scenarios because of it being 36 years ago, in British Columbia, how long it took to be reported, and how it was/wasn't investigated. Let's dive in.

This is a young couple who like many young parents had several ups and several downs. Wife meets stranger and has her doubts and they try to arrange with brother/mother to take children but it doesn't work out. She was apprehensive about it, but eventually went with it, so, what doesn't stop them from changing their mind and deciding this was a terrible idea and decided to hitchhike back home? Then you have a whole different suspect. The logger wouldn't even think to check in on them because it's 1989 and again he wouldn't think nothing more than they changed their mind. They could have even got lost in the area. Even if they found their remains, it's been over 30 years and unless it shows visible homicide markings, it would be difficult to identify a cause of death potentially. I'm not saying these are the reasons, but it's very difficult to establish a pattern when we to literally anything when there are dozens (infinite) or more possibilities when all we have is point A. Point A is them leaving their home.

(2) Let's jump to modern day British Colombia. 30% (+) of Northeastern British Columbia's forests could be fully burned by the end of this year. I have been tracking the wildfire and extreme wildfire events in Canada the last two years. It's really heartbreaking to see in real time.

I'm always open to suggestions or ideas. If I am incorrect, it's all imo. But, that's how I feel about it at this time. I feel for the families. They deserved a proper investigation then. I am sorry this didn't happen earlier to when they disappeared.

But even so, it was largely featured in newspapers and outlets across the province, albeit minimum 2 weeks after the families expected date of return.

If the first scenario were to be the case, you'd think that either the man with the job offer or anyone who seen a family of four hitchhiking would contact authorities if there was no foul play.

I also believe that while BC has been burned in mass by Forrest fire destruction over the last 30 years, does not necessarily mean finding the end of this tragedy less likely.

You're right though the investigation was less than sub par.

 

[Cedars]

I think it's unlikely they were taken all that far from Prince George:

#1 It's rare for a perp to innocently enjoy spending a long time with their victims before an intended crime. If they dislike people enough to trick and harm them, they're not going to be having fun joking around with them in a cramped truck, for hours.

#2 If he did harm them, he's not going to transport them anywhere, in case he's stopped or has an accident etc, with them in his truck.

However, the forest within a one hour radius of PG, say 400 square miles, was still too much to search, I expect. Probably criss-crossed with old logging roads.

it's very difficult to establish a pattern when we to literally anything when there are dozens (infinite) or more possibilities when all we have is point A. Point A is them leaving their home.

I disagree that there are an infinte number of possibilities. Maybe in pure math, but this is about human behaviour, especially in this kind of context, where this family had almost no possibilities open to them.

The police did do an investigation, which likely included inquiring with all the logging camps in the region and determining

1. No one recognized the description of the man/truck, or the story he told about a camp, and he never came forward: therefore he likely had ill intent.

2. The possibility that one ill-intentioned/fairy-tale-talking stranger let them out kindly, and the family was subsequently made to disappear by a completely different ill-intentioned person, is extremely far outside the bounds of rational crime investigations. That's how people claim Koberger didn't do it, etc. 'Anything is possible' - no. Crimes actually follow a few, very typical trajectories, that's why police can often -- but not always - solve them.

JMO

 

[JanePelp]

Kudos to you, @JanePelp for looking into this old case.

I grew up in Alberta in the 70's and 80's and certainly by the early 80's I was aware of lots of murdering going on in B.C. and I'd heard of a dangerous highway where young people hitch-hiked and they and women went missing, particularly First Nations people. Since then I have heard that the Highway of Tears might as well have been said to continue all the way to Edmonton. Highway 16 does go thru Jasper National Park and on eastwards to or almost to Edmonton. So that's partly why I think more likely a perp from AB and B.C. rather than the US, altho I know it wasn't you who suggested the US.

MOO

Thank you. The Highway of Tears is actually what sparked my interest as a young girl growing up in rural BC. I seen the infamous billboard along hwy 16 and I've been researching mmiwg2s+ and any missing or murdered woman from fort st. James to new hazleton to Prince Rupert to Salmon arm to Kelowna, Revelstoke and all the in-betweens. I mostly look at women and girls from 1960-present with a few special interests like the Jack Family, Marshall Iwassa and Daniel Reoch.

I have info on a particularly difficult case that crossed the BC/AB border around that time. PM me if you'd be interested in bouncing ideas around on that one.

 

[Cedars]

I was just recalling a case from a few years ago: a couple of guys went missing from a small logging town, police investigated and searched the highway thoroughly, couldn't find anything.

But a woman who lived in the town had a highly-trained cadaver dog, she would take it out to run/explore via the old logging roads close to town. She parked in an old quarry area. The dog ran into the woods and - yes - found the men's remains. Just fluke.
JMO

 

[LadyL]

I think about this family often. Hoping for resolution for loved ones.

 

[LadyL]

OK thanks, I understand better now what you were looking for.

I don't think Likness/O'Brien was a child-based motive, it was more - the child was there, having a sleep-over at his grandparents unbeknownst to the perp and so he was taken too. iirc the perp was trying to take revenge on the grandfather for some slight disagreement they'd had decades ago. The grandfather was I think actually a step-grandfather - new partner of grandmother Likness.
The bodies were never found and were assumed to have ended in a burn barrel on perp's acreage. ETA: with burn barrel - that's a method you think might have been used on the Jack family.

The bodies were seen, however, just by chance by someone taking photos from a helicopter for some totally different reason - like surveying or something. MOO

I'm confused. You said the bodies were never found but also that they were spotted by someone photographing from the air. Did they not notice right away and then forget where they took the photograph?

 

[LadyL]

Relatives of Prince George family of four, missing since 1989, mount new search

Ronald (Ronnie), Doreen, Russell and Ryan Jack were last seen 35 years ago after leaving their home in a pickup truck with an unknown man

vancouversun.com

“It is very important that the family remains in the hearts and minds of the public,” said Cooper at the time, saying police and the family were hoping the new images would lead to new information.
Article content
Anyone with info can contact Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or make an anonymous report to Northern B.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.''

Ryan Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Russell Jack age progression copy Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Doreen Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

Ronnie Jack age progression Photo by Samantha Steinberg /Unidentified Human Remains Canada

might be just me but the images in your posts are blurry? so reposted here, hope you don't mind

 

[seasideForest]

I'm confused. You said the bodies were never found but also that they were spotted by someone photographing from the air. Did they not notice right away and then forget where they took the photograph?

Somebody was in the air taking photos of area for some other reason, like surveying / land use or idk. This person went back through their footage later, after the media had reported. The photos were available to the public, in fact undoubtedly on the thread here on WS. What was visible in them were what looked like rises in the ground, 2 similar size and one a lot smaller. I wouldn't have recognised them as bodies, but the police probably have other tools for inspecting photos than I do. I can't remember if by the time these photos surfaced, the bodies had disappeared. Or between them surfacing and police getting to search that particular acreage. There was a burn barrel visible in the photo iirc and there were some sort of traces in the burn barrel. I can't remember if just DNA traces or what.

Since the above is taken from my memory, I'm going to say MOO to all of it.


For further information, search the threads here. I don't have the time to do it for you, I'm sorry.

Deceased/Not Found Thread 'Canada - Alvin, 66, & Kathy Liknes, 53, Nathan O'Brien, 5, Calgary, 30 Jun 2014 - #25'

Feb 6, 2017

Aerial footage to take centre stage at Douglas Garland triple murder trial


Kevin Martin
More from Kevin Martin
Published on: February 5, 2017 | Last Updated: February 5, 2017 3:45 PM MST

Jurors in the Douglas Garland triple-murder trial are expected to be shown, on Monday, aerial photos which the Crown will argue reveal the bodies of the three victims on his farm.



*Media, Maps & Timeline*

Rules Etiquette & Information...

• Sillybilly
• Replies: 850
• Forum: 2010's Missing

Or maybe check for newspaper articles on CBC, might be a quicker search.

 

[LadyL]

Somebody was in the air taking photos of area for some other reason, like surveying / land use or idk. This person went back through their footage later, after the media had reported. The photos were available to the public, in fact undoubtedly on the thread here on WS. What was visible in them were what looked like rises in the ground, 2 similar size and one a lot smaller. I wouldn't have recognised them as bodies, but the police probably have other tools for inspecting photos than I do. I can't remember if by the time these photos surfaced, the bodies had disappeared. Or between them surfacing and police getting to search that particular acreage. There was a burn barrel visible in the photo iirc and there were some sort of traces in the burn barrel. I can't remember if just DNA traces or what.

Since the above is taken from my memory, I'm going to say MOO to all of it.


For further information, search the threads here. I don't have the time to do it for you, I'm sorry.

Deceased/Not Found Thread 'Canada - Alvin, 66, & Kathy Liknes, 53, Nathan O'Brien, 5, Calgary, 30 Jun 2014 - #25'

Feb 6, 2017

Aerial footage to take centre stage at Douglas Garland triple murder trial


Kevin Martin
More from Kevin Martin
Published on: February 5, 2017 | Last Updated: February 5, 2017 3:45 PM MST

Jurors in the Douglas Garland triple-murder trial are expected to be shown, on Monday, aerial photos which the Crown will argue reveal the bodies of the three victims on his farm.



*Media, Maps & Timeline*

Rules Etiquette & Information...

• Sillybilly
• Replies: 850
• Forum: 2010's Missing

Or maybe check for newspaper articles on CBC, might be a quicker search.

oh wow that's crazy! thanks for the link and no worries, you supplied more than enough info - I'll check it out

 

[spartanx]

BBM
Can you please tell me what you mean here? You hate Canada's indigenous peoples? Or is that a typo? Do you mean to say "Canada, being a ....country, who still hates...? Or something completely different? I'm confused.

Hello, I mean, Canada, being a developed country with a high standard of living and good governments, still has so much discrimination against Aboriginal peoples... but I have nothing against Aboriginal people. I'm from Chile and here, indigenous people are very common.

 

[seasideForest]

Hello, I mean, Canada, being a developed country with a high standard of living and good governments, still has so much discrimination against Aboriginal peoples... but I have nothing against Aboriginal people. I'm from Chile and here, indigenous people are very common.

Thank you very much for clarifying! I agree with you on the degree of discrimination in Canada against the Indigenous peoples.

 

[Cedars]

Reminds me of people abroad who, when they learn I'm Canadian, start ripping into me about clubbing baby seals.

 

[elframo]

The Unsolved Podcast has done a short podcast about the family

BONUS: "The Jack Family Disappearance"

Podcast Episode · The Unsolved Podcast · 2025-08-02 · Bonus · 18m

podcasts.apple.com