Investigators say missing man’s vehicle found burned on remote B.C. road

Mounties say 57-year-old Michael Randolf Kowalchuk has not been seen by his family since July 2024. His white 2003 Cadillac Escalade SUV was “located burned and destroyed” on an unnamed road near Granisle, B.C., that summer. (Handouts)

Major crime detectives in British Columbia are pleading for information in the cold-case disappearance of a man whose vehicle was found burned on a remote forest road nearly two years ago.

Mounties say 57-year-old Michael Randolf Kowalchuk has not been seen by his family since July 2024. He wasn’t reported missing until June 26, 2025, after he failed to speak with loved ones on Father’s Day.

Investigators have determined that Kowalchuk was last known to be living in the community of Granisle, east of Smithers.

However, all inquiries in the region have been unsuccessful in locating him, according to a statement Friday from the B.C. RCMP’s North District Major Crime Unit.

Authorities say Kowalchuk’s white 2003 Cadillac Escalade SUV was “located burned and destroyed” on an unnamed road near Highway 118 outside of Granisle in the late summer of 2024.

The discovery was not reported to police at the time and is only now being revealed by authorities.

“Investigators believe that other items were left near the Cadillac, which were not present when police were notified about the area,” Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said in a statement.

In an earlier news release, police said the vehicle had B.C. licence plate VJ2 97C. The items left near the vehicle could include bags, clothing or tools, police said.

The area where the vehicle was found is popular with hunters, tree planters and other outdoor enthusiasts, according to police.

Kowalchuk is described as a white man standing 6’ tall and weighing approximately 194 pounds. He has blue eyes, a light brown goatee and blond hair that he usually keeps in a ponytail, according to police.

Anyone with information related to Kowalchuk’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Houston RCMP at 250-845-2204.