It will be five years this summer since Ryan Duncan went missing.
The Manitoba man went missing in the North Okanagan in July 2018.
He was 43 at the time and would be 48 today.
The Unidentified Human Remains Canada group has taken on the cold case after the father of five vanished on July 17, 2018, after last being seen at a motel in Lumby.
Duncan's missing persons file with the RCMP remains open and there has been evidence to suggest he is deceased.
But, a spokesperson with the Unidentified Remains group says there are unusual circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
"He apparently got involved with a bad crowd. There was a 'Mr. Big' sting operation in Manitoba in which a police officer went missing under suspicious circumstances," says Doreen.
It's believed that may be why Duncan rented a car and came to B.C., allegedly in search of work.
Duncan had moved to Calgary on July 1 that year to start a new job.
He was seen near Lumby on the day of his disappearance, when an RCMP officer came across him by the side of the road after he had run out of gas.
The officer drove him into the village to get fuel and charge his phone.
He was then last seen walking away from the motel, back towards his car, says Lambert.
Duncan called his mother several times that day, asking for money, and the car was found four days later in Vernon.
"The window was smashed, and there was no sign of him ... Since then, there has been no credit card or bank activity in his name."
RCMP believe someone else drove the car into Vernon.
Duncan, who has been known to use the aliases William Duncan, Bill Mancana and Bill Duncan is said to be a skilled outdoorsman with a high IQ.
A post on the Unidentified Remains Facebook page says Duncan had been experiencing depression prior to his departure from Manitoba, and he had tried to escape with alcohol and drugs.
"Someone knows where Ryan is, and someone needs to reach out to us so his children and mother have answers," wrote group founder Jan Guppy.
RCMP last issued a public appeal for information on the case on the one-year anniversary of Duncan's disappearance.
Duncan was described in 2018 as six feet one inch tall, 190 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or email the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains.
