Family of missing Brandon teen expands search effort, appeals for security footage

The family of a missing 18-year-old from Brandon is continuing ground search efforts across the southwestern Manitoba city, and urging anyone with doorbell or security camera footage that may help locate him to come forward.  

Owen Bedford, 18, was last seen around 2 a.m. Sunday leaving a bar on Victoria Avenue between 34th and 26th streets with friends, says his cousin Austin Tame. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Bedford's sister, Jordan Bedford, says her family needs to find her "baby brother."

"He is never in trouble. He's always wanting to do what's best for the people around him.… It's very out of character," she said.

"He's always with his friends and his family, and to not be present or speaking to anybody is obviously of great concern."

Despite being seven months pregnant, Jordan has been out searching 12 hours a day since her brother disappeared.

"Our biggest priority is to get Owen home as safely as we can," she said. "We just obviously want our baby brother to come home."

Tame said volunteers have been combing the city for any sign of his cousin since Sunday. By Tuesday afternoon, he estimated more than 150 people had joined the search.

"We have now broadened the search to all of Brandon ... top to bottom, left to right, nowhere is off limits," Tame said.

"With the amount of support we have and people we have out here, we think that we're pretty blessed to be able to pool those resources to try and hit every possible avenue."

Tame says the hope is any security footage, especially from the area where Bedford was last seen Sunday morning, might show his cousin and could help narrow down the search.

He said searchers are trying to avoid tunnel vision, and aren't ruling any areas out. He encourages people anywhere in the city to check their doorbell cameras or security footage for any sign of his cousin.

Bedford is about five feet seven inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a grey hoodie with the words "Las Vegas" on it, light-coloured blue jeans, a white baseball cap and white shoes.

In a statement to CBC, Brandon police said they're using all available resources and technology in the search for Bedford, including drones and search dogs. The police service's major crimes unit is involved, and officers are working closely with the office of the fire commissioner, police said.

On Tuesday, they were joined by the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team, which was searching the Assiniboine River.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the missing persons unit at 204-729-2392.