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
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.