No evidence uncovered in recent search for family missing for 30 years, say RCMP

A three-day search on a property in northern B.C. for a missing family has turned up no evidence of Ronnie or Doreen Jack or their two sons Russell and Ryan, according to RCMP.  

It's been 30 years since the Jack family disappeared from their home in Prince George in the summer of 1989. 

RCMP say they don't have any specific evidence to conclude the family met with foul play but at this stage they're "treating this as a homicide until proven otherwise," said Cpl. Craig Douglass.

RCMP pursued the most recent lead Aug. 28-30 with help from external experts, ground penetrating radar and heavy equipment and couldn't find any evidence connected to the missing family. An RCMP spokesperson said at this stage it will be up to the investigators assigned to the case to decide if there's more to do with the information they have so far. 

Ronnie and Doreen Jack both grew up in the south side of Burns Lake. In 1989 they were living in Prince George with their two young sons who were nine and four years old at the time. Then, one summer night, Ronnie spoke to a man at a pub near their home who offered the couple jobs at a logging camp, or ranch, outside of the city. 

On Aug. 2, 1989, Ronnie called family members to say they'd be heading out of town for work and that they'd be taking the boys with them. 

They were expected to be gone for 10 days but never returned.

In the decades since their disappearance RCMP say several sites have been searched as possible burial sites. But none have led them to the missing family. 

The latest search happened on a section of the Saik'uz Nation's territory south of Vanderhoof, B.C. The community's elected leadership and some of their Elders stayed on site for much of the search to witness and support those who came from out of town for the search. 

Marlene Jack, sister to Doreen, was on-site and said she was a nervous wreck watching police search the area. 

"And then there was nothing found. That was very disappointing to me," she said.

But Marlene said she's not giving up on her search and once again, is asking people with information about what happened to the Jacks to come forward so the family can find them and bring them home and lay them to rest. 

"Now all I care about is to bring my family home, that's it. The justice part is up to the RCMP if they're willing to pursue it," she said. 

She said with the information she has about the most recent lead and the search, there's more to be followed up on. 

"This information is just too accurate to ignore," she said.

Elected chief of the Saik'uz Nation Priscilla Mueller said in a statement that her community will continue to support Marlene and those affected by the family's disappearance. She wrote that the "community sends our love and prayers to the Jack family in obtaining closure."