Guardian Newspaper Article - Hope Runs Thin

Nancy Willis, May 26, 2006

Hope runs thin for family searching for son who vanished six months ago. Reggie MacDonald, 39, slipped out of his parents' Souris home Dec. 4 without warm clothes or money and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

SOURIS - It's been six months since 39-year-old Reggie MacDonald slipped out a window of his parents' home in Souris and disappeared. Jim and Helen MacDonald were in the process of taking their son to the Mount Herbert drug rehabilitation facility on December 4 when he vanished, with no warm clothes, no money or anything else.

On Sunday, his abandoned vehicle was discovered by members of a Bayfield family, who were riding through the woods on their ATVs.  The family had recently read a newspaper story about MacDonald's disappearance. Suspicious that the car might be his, they called RCMP, who confirmed the identity of the owner.

RCMP called in a dog handler to conduct a search of the area. Personal items belonging to MacDonald were found in the woods.

A search and rescue team was dispatched to the area, and spent the rest of the day looking for the man. The search continued Monday.

Police and volunteers searching thick brush and swamp in northeastern P.E.I. may have found some clues in the case of Reggie MacDonald, who has been missing since December.  MacDonald, 39, was last seen in Souris on Dec. 4. He was a drug addict but his family, whom he was visiting at the time, thought he was recovering since he was on a methadone program and seemed to be doing better.

Police say if MacDonald is in the area it is unlikely he is still alive. A police dog did find some clues: clothing, shoes, and some bones that need to be analyzed to see if they're human.

"I keep the family in mind. If it has to go this way and they need closure, then I would like to be able to help them," said Tom White, one of the searchers. "I think that's the way we all feel out here."

Some members of the family have joined in the search, which has been going on since Sunday and is expected to continue through Tuesday. Police hope to have more answers by the end of the week.