Chris Metallic search uses RCMP's only cadaver dog

The RCMP's only cadaver dog is being used in new efforts to search for any remains of missing Mount Allison University student Chris Metallic.

Metallic disappeared four years ago after a party at a residence in Sackville.

RCMP announced this week they are staging new search efforts in the case this week. The searches include Doc, a dog trained to find human remains, even if buried for a long period of time.

"It allows us to have a police dog that has the ability to look for historic remains, not just historic remains but also look for something that is buried," said Const. Bryan Veniot with the Nova Scotia police dog service, which Doc is based with the RCMP's human remains detection project.

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Veniot said the other RCMP dogs are only able to locate recent human remains, but Doc is trained to search for remains as old as 30 years.

Nothing found yet

Veniot said he has been out in the field with Doc for three days now but has not found anything new yet.

"We'll cover as much as we can based on information investigators have," he said.

"If it means another two days, we'll spend two more days looking at, going through any Crime Stoppers tips that they might have had during their investigation."

Sgt. Paul Gagne said they have also received tips from the public over the last few months.

He said the tips did not have any direct information but were anonymous and provided vague descriptions of Metallic's whereabouts. They were not the reason for the renewed search.

"No, we were following up on the tips anyway. This was because we heard about this pilot project and we thought would be excellent opportunity to enhance and expand our investigation," he said.

Disappeared in 2012

Metallic disappeared in November 2012 after leaving a house party in Sackville/

A witness had spotted him walking down Upper Haute-Aboujagne Road at about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

RCMP also recovered shoes worn by Metallic in the wooded area in Upper Sackville.

After weeks of extensive ground search using a police helicopter and under-water recovery team, the Tri-county Search and Rescue team was unsuccessful in locating Metallic.

Impact in the community

Curtis Michaelis of the admissions office at the university recalled Metallic's disappearance and said it has impacted the town.

"It was something not typical for this community and so I think it definitely impacted everybody," he said.  

"I know it's never an easy thing for any community to deal with but it's something in Sackville in particular, being a small town, it definitely resonated a little bit more."

I think it definitely impacted everybody.- Curtis Michaelis, Sackville resident

​Michaelis said he thinks it's a great thing they are continuing the search and he hopes it will lead to some closure for the family.

Second-year student Ileanna Gowens wasn't around during the disappearance but says she heard about it the first week she attended the school.

"It's something that still comes up a lot, there is still posters all over the school buildings and everything about it," she said.