VicPD have arrested one man in connection with the homicide of another man whose remains were found near a Malahat rest stop in 2017.
72-year-old Richard “Blair” Young was last seen leaving his apartment on February 8th, 2017. VicPD released a missing persons report to the media on February 15th, 2017 after his family became concerned over his well-being.
Nearly three weeks later, on March 2nd, his remains were found at the Arbutus rest stop off the Malahat section of Highway 1.
See also: Homicide victim found near Malahat summit identified as missing Victoria man
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) took over the investigation and worked with VicPD investigators until Young’s body was located.
In a media release late Wednesday, VicPD announced Joseph “Bob” Gelineau was arrested by officers with VIIMCU.
He has been charged with first-degree murder and indignity to human remains. He remains in custody.
Police said they would not reveal any other details due to the ongoing investigation.
“Blair was a 72-year-old gentleman, a father, and stepfather who made efforts to provide help and assistance to his loved ones,” said VIIMCU Insp. David Hal in a release back in 2019.
“He maintained daily contact with his family members checking on their well-being and he is missed.”
The specifics of how he was killed have not been released.
To aid in the investigation, police released a video of Young leaving his apartment building on February 8th, 2017, the last time he was ever seen.
At the time, investigators said that the footage suggests that Young was not expecting to be gone for very long, as he was only wearing a “light jacket” in sub-zero temperatures, as Victoria had just seen heavy snowfall at the time.
Police discovered that over $30,000 was fraudulently charged on Young’s credit card on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
Investigators do not believe that he was involved in crime, however, they also do not believe that his death was a random act.
