EDSON – Police and search and rescue volunteers continue to scour a rural area east of Edson where a missing St. Albert couple's SUV was located Friday.
On Saturday search and rescue volunteers could be seen scouring the ditches, both along Range Road 144, the dead-end road where the vehicle was found, and Highway 16.
The vehicle belongs to St. Albert residents Lyle Thomas McCann, 78 and Marie Ann McCann, 77, who have been missing since they left the city on July 3 in their motorhome, with the SUV in tow.
Police are seeking Travis Edward Vader, 38, as a person of interest in the case of the missing seniors.
The light green Hyundai Tucson SUV was found late in the afternoon Friday in a wooded area about 30 kilometres east of Edson, the RCMP confirmed.
The wooded area is off Range Road 144, a short dead-end road just off Highway 16. On Friday evening a flatbed trailer removed the SUV from the site, but police maintained a road block at the edge of the road, while investigators and forensic crews came and went from the area.
The SUV did not appear to be damaged in any way when it was taken from the site.
Sgt. Tim Taniguchi said Friday the area around the SUV is considered a crime scene.
"The scene could be metres, in terms of the perimeter around the vehicle, or it could be miles," he said.
Person of interest
Vader has not been identified as a suspect in the McCann disappearance, however police indicated he has an extensive criminal past.
"Vader has multiple outstanding warrants on matters unrelated to this and he is known to be in possession of firearms. He has a history of drug abuse," said RCMP assistant commissioner Peter Hourihan.
While the RCMP is trying to find Vader, Hourihan said they do not want the public to approach him.
"We don't know where Mr. Vader is right now and we need the public's help in trying to locate him. We need the public also to know that he is considered dangerous and any sightings of him should be reported to the police immediately."
Despite the discovery of both the SUV and the motorhome police say they are still looking for people who might have spotted the vehicles between July 3 and 5.
The motorhome was a 1999 Gulf Stream Voyager, painted green and white. The Hyundai Tucson is light green with Alberta licence plate ZPK-289.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Albert RCMP at 780 458-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
