BONNYVILLE – “It really doesn’t make sense," said Jillian York, the sister of Michael Mulroy, a Cold Lake man who was last heard from on the evening of April 10.
Both York and the RCMP, who are investigating Mulroy’s disappearance, are still trying to understand and piece together the events that took place the last night he was seen or heard from.
York told Lakeland This Week that she received a text message from her brother around 7:30 p.m. the night of his disappearance. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
On April 10, around 9:30 p.m., Mulroy made his way to the Sobey’s Liquor store near his home. That would be the last known sighting of Mulroy, aside from doorbell footage collected from his neighbourhood.
Mulroy lives in the neighbourhood behind Tri-City Mall with his mother, and when she woke up around midnight to find her son wasn’t home, she became concerned, even more so when she couldn’t reach him on his cellphone. After Mulroy failed to return home the next morning, his family reported the 40-year-old missing at 7:47 a.m. on April 11.
When Cold Lake RCMP began looking into Mulroy’s disappearance, it was determined that the last outgoing communication from his phone occurred Monday evening.
However, his cellphone continued to ping on a cellular tower located in the area of Range Road 420 and Township Road 630, east of 50th Avenue Cold Lake, for another 24 hours.
The area within the 1,510 metre radius of the tower is predominantly wooded, with extensive trail systems and ravines that are difficult to navigate due to the melting snow.
It is believed that Mulroy went into the wooded area where the battery in his phone is believed to have died at 7:45 p.m. on April 11, according to RCMP Sgt. Patrick Russell, who is in charge of operations support for the Cold Lake detachment.
Sgt. Russell noted that while the scenario is circumstantial, it is what investigators and searchers have to go on for now.
Due to the challenging terrain where Mulroy is suspected to have been last, K Division’s Air Service helicopter was called in on April 12 to search the roughly 1,500 metre radius.
The helicopter uses an infrared system that detects heat signatures.
"It will detect a human who is living and breathing because we produce body heat, and that heat will show up on the thermal. But the problem is the equipment is not very useful for detecting or finding a deceased person,” Russell acknowledged.
“In this case, it's the human eye that we were relying on. We've got a spotter and a pilot that are flying and just searching.”
A few days later on April 15, RCMP would engage in a search of the trail system with Search and Rescue groups from Cold Lake and Bonnyville, looking for any indication that Mulroy and been in the area. The search would turn up very little.
Searchers were hoping to locate items that Mulroy was wearing the night of his disappearance, which included a pair of reading glasses, an Oilers hat given to him by his nephew, black sneakers, black pants, and a black jacket with the word “Americo” written on the back with large white lettering.
Based on the ongoing investigation, Russell states that there are some indicators that may suggest Mulroy “intended to go missing,” adding to the cause for concern.
Family organizes Search Party
A search party organized by Mulroy’s family is being held on April 22 at 10 a.m. Anyone interested in participating in the search is asked to meet at the Tri-City parking lot for instructions.
“We just want to find my brother. If there is any way people can help, it's welcome and appreciated,” said York. The family is also imploring anyone with information on her brother’s whereabouts to come forward to RCMP.
So far, residents have offered everything from the use of ATVS to helicopters to aid in the search.
“The sheer assistance that we have received already has been amazing. This community is just amazing. They've offered everything from words of encouragement to offers of a helicopter. It's just been mind boggling. I'm so overwhelmed with the show of support and people that are really concerned about my brother and finding him,” said York. “I'm so proud to be a Cold Laker right now.”
Reflecting on the surreal disappearance of her brother, York said there was no reason for her brother to have been in the area where his phone was last pinpointed to.
“He had no money on him. So, there was no way he could have gotten to Edmonton. He had no vehicle,” she said. “Hitchhiking obviously is an option, but it’s unlikely. He's six feet tall and 200 pounds – he is a burly man.”
The police continue to monitor Mulroy’s bank accounts for activity and his cellphone in case it gets turned on again. “It hasn't been turned on again,” said York, holding back tears. “We're all concerned for his well-being right now.”
