CANADA Canada - Whitney, Ont, WhtMale HC95, 18-29, @ Algonquin Park campsite, Apr'80 (Eric “Ricky” Singer of Cleveland, Ohio,)

[musicaljoke]

Do we know the cause of death? So sad he was so young!

He was last seen by his family in October, so he may have been trying to survive a Canadian winter in Algonquin Park, which would be pretty much an impossible situation for the young American. I hope his family felt the incredible beauty and peaceful spirit of the place where he lived his last days.

 

[djanga]

I see they found a folding camp stove with an aluminum camper’s pot at the site. Still, it seems his clothes were not enough for cold nights in the park, let alone to spend a whole winter there. I don’t think they found a tent either, and he only had a khaki-green military-style jacket and a knitted sweater. I think one could survive cold summer nights with that, but October must be very cold there

 

[djanga]

Described as a 'kid of the 60s', with long hair, bell-bottom jeans and a guitar slung over his shoulder, Ricky was carefree and preferred to live life one moment at a time. After spending time abroad, he returned home in the summer of 1973 and moved back in with his parents and younger sister, only to vanish in the fall at the age of 22. Despite filing a missing persons report, hiring a private investigator and conducting their own searches through various missing persons organizations, Ricky's sisters never saw him again. Tragically, their parents passed away before they could learn what had happened to their son.

Ontario Provincial Police - News / Nouvelles

www.opp.ca

 

[DD Byrd]

If he left home in October of 1973, but was estimated to have died @ 2yrs prior to being found in 1980, where was he for those 5-ish years? It's possbile he traveled as a nomad and used a different name. Perhaps he wasn't around many people who would remember him in the first place. For his final days, maybe it wasn't his campsite but he either came upon someone or was visiting, or for some yet unknown reason ended up at an abandoned camp and didn't intend to stay.

 

[Betty P]

Aww, he was only 22, his life just beginning. The Vietnamese War draft in the U.S. ended in mid-1973. He’d spent the previous years of his young life traveling to avoid the draft.

His family said he had a bike (I assume a motorcycle) when he left. I wonder what happened to the motorcycle? He probably left it at the closest parking area. Did someone steal it? I’m still wondering if there was some foul play. It sounds like some of his other possessions were missing, like the guitar.

I’m so happy for his sisters that they finally could put him to rest. Great work by the Ontario police.

 

[djanga]

If he left home in October of 1973, but was estimated to have died @ 2yrs prior to being found in 1980, where was he for those 5-ish years? It's possbile he traveled as a nomad and used a different name. Perhaps he wasn't around many people who would remember him in the first place. For his final days, maybe it wasn't his campsite but he either came upon someone or was visiting, or for some yet unknown reason ended up at an abandoned camp and didn't intend to stay.

I am not sure whether it was established that he died two years prior to 1980. All the sources, including his profile on Canada Missing, have always said he died sometime between as early as 1971 and 1978:


Experts determined that the victim was a young white male somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21, and that his possible time of death was between July 1971 and spring 1978. They did not find any signs of foul play

22-Year-Old Disappeared on Bike in 1973. 50 Years Later His Remains Were Found in Canadian Park

A family finally has some closure after the human remains of their loved one, who was 22 years at the time of his disappearance in 1973, have been identified by Canadian authorities.

people.com

 

[musicaljoke]

I am not sure whether it was established that he died two years prior to 1980. All the sources, including his profile on Canada Missing, have always said he died sometime between as early as 1971 and 1978:


Experts determined that the victim was a young white male somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21, and that his possible time of death was between July 1971 and spring 1978. They did not find any signs of foul play

22-Year-Old Disappeared on Bike in 1973. 50 Years Later His Remains Were Found in Canadian Park

A family finally has some closure after the human remains of their loved one, who was 22 years at the time of his disappearance in 1973, have been identified by Canadian authorities.

people.com

Given that his family last heard from him in 1973, I think we can assume he died not too long after they had their last contact. His remains were found in 1980, off trail in Algonquin Park with no signs of foul play.

Algonquin is a huge park, nearly two million acres. In October it is stunning and there would be other people in the park for the fall colours. but depending on where and when he went into the park, he could be completely alone. Even in the height of summer, it is possible to be in the park and not see a soul for days. The trails start to close down as the weather gets colder. Back then, in the off season, a person could stay in the park for free, so it might have looked like a good deal for a guy without a steady income.

It took several years for his remains to be found, so I suspect he went off trail to find a cozy place to set up camp, but a person really can't survive in the park without a safe place to stay warm, supplies and a lot of knowledge. He might not have been able to find his way back out.

 

[DD Byrd]

I am not sure whether it was established that he died two years prior to 1980. All the sources, including his profile on Canada Missing, have always said he died sometime between as early as 1971 and 1978:


Experts determined that the victim was a young white male somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21, and that his possible time of death was between July 1971 and spring 1978. They did not find any signs of foul play

22-Year-Old Disappeared on Bike in 1973. 50 Years Later His Remains Were Found in Canadian Park

A family finally has some closure after the human remains of their loved one, who was 22 years at the time of his disappearance in 1973, have been identified by Canadian authorities.

people.com

It sounds like they need to narrow the year of death down - these two both say 2 years prior to being found in 1980:
OPP news
Barrie Today

 

[Cedars]

I am not sure whether it was established that he died two years prior to 1980. All the sources, including his profile on Canada Missing, have always said he died sometime between as early as 1971 and 1978:

So then, my interpretation is the forensic examiner believed he had been dead 'at least' 2 years, but 'not longer' than 10 years.

My guess is something to do with how long it takes a body or certain parts of a body to completely skeletonize in that environment. Also maybe there was evidence from the environment his remains were found in, like the layers of leaf drop covering remains, etc.

JMO

 

[DD Byrd]

OPP: para 2 - " Initial estimates placed the time of death July 1, 1971, and spring 1978. This window was eventually narrowed to approximately two years before the remains were found"

Barrie Today: para 11 - ""Further investigation narrowed the estimated time of death to approximately two years before the remains were discovered," the OPP stated in a release on Thursday. "Despite comparing the remains to several missing persons reports and issuing public appeals, the case remained unsolved."

 

[Cedars]

Described as a 'kid of the 60s', with long hair, bell-bottom jeans

IMO, fashions changed a lot between 1973 and 1978. I wonder if they learned anything from the clothing, eg a style of jeans, or shoes, that wasn't manufactured until 1978, etc.

 

[Cedars]

Given that his family last heard from him in 1973, I think we can assume he died not too long after they had their last contact. His remains were found in 1980, off trail in Algonquin Park with no signs of foul play.

Algonquin is a huge park, nearly two million acres. In October it is stunning and there would be other people in the park for the fall colours. but depending on where and when he went into the park, he could be completely alone. Even in the height of summer, it is possible to be in the park and not see a soul for days. The trails start to close down as the weather gets colder. Back then, in the off season, a person could stay in the park for free, so it might have looked like a good deal for a guy without a steady income.

It took several years for his remains to be found, so I suspect he went off trail to find a cozy place to set up camp, but a person really can't survive in the park without a safe place to stay warm, supplies and a lot of knowledge. He might not have been able to find his way back out.

I looked up the trail, Hardwood Lookout is just a short 1 km (3/4 mile round trip) loop off highway 60, that leads to a viewpoint looking over the highway to the large lake that is on the other side of the highway.



In the first posting in the thread, he was identified as being in a campsite: "He was at a campsite at Lot 19, Con 8, Peck Township, Hardwood Lookout". ie, rather than just randomly in the woods.

Perhaps they found someone who used that campsite in 1977 or early 78 - or park staff who'd checked it?

ETA, also speculating, did he maybe have a vehicle where he left most of his stuff, just took enough to sleep and make a quick breakfast...

In that case, if he died naturally, I doubt his vehicle was coincidentally stolen. Maybe it was towed and, without computers, no special records kept about it...?