Murder charge laid after body found near Vancouver Island rest stop in 2017
More than six years after the body of a 72-year-old man was discovered near a highway rest stop on southern Vancouver Island, a Victoria man is facing charges of first-degree murder and indignity to human remains
Investigators believe Joseph "Bob" Gelineau killed Richard "Blair" Young, who went missing from Victoria in 2017.
Gelineau, who was born in 1953, was arrested Wednesday and remains in police custody pending a scheduled court appearance on April 3.
Young's family had not heard from him for over a week when he was reported missing to police on Feb. 14, 2017.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit led the search for Young until March 2 of that year, when his body was discovered near the Arbutus rest stop on the Malahat highway.
Police have not indicated how Young died or if the two men knew each other.
"Further details about this investigation cannot be shared at this time as the matter is now before the courts," the Victoria Police Department said in a statement Wednesday evening.
In March 2019, investigators released video footage of the murder victim leaving his Victoria apartment on Feb. 8, 2017. In the video, Young is seen walking out of the North Park Manor seniors home wearing a light jacket despite the sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall outside.
"This leads investigators to believe that he did not expect to be spending time outdoors and he did not expect to be gone long," Insp. David Hall, the Island District RCMP's senior investigating officer, said at the time.
Human remains were found near the Arbutus rest stop on the Malahat highway on March 2, 2017. (CTV Vancouver Island)
By 2019, police had identified a number of persons of interest in the case. Investigators said Young did not have any apparent connection to criminality, but they didn't believe his murder was a "purely random act" either, they said.
Police also determined Young's bank and credit cards were charged more than $30,000 in fraudulent transactions on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, according to investigators.
Young served as a director on the board of his seniors residence. Fellow resident David Crane told CTV News on Thursday he was Young's neighbour for three years and remembers him as "a gem, one of the finest."
"Always there when you needed him," Crane added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.