$25,000 reward in Kitimat triple murder cold case set to expire

A $25,000 reward that was offered for information about a triple murder in Kitimat in 1997 is set to expire at the end of the month.

Kevin Vermette remains the only suspect in the deaths of Michael Mauro, David Nunes and Mark Teves. They were shot and killed in a park in Kitimat in July 1997. A fourth man, Donny Oliveira, was seriously injured but survived.

Vermette allegedly walked up to them and started firing, but the motive remains unknown.

Despite being known, at the time, as Canada’s most wanted criminal, Vermette has never been found. While the police investigation remains open, it is a mystery what happened to the now 61-year-old. He was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, and attempted murder.

Police say he abandoned his vehicle at his motel residence and fled on foot into the mountain wilderness with his black Labrador dog.

The reward for his capture was put up by a committee of people, but it can only be claimed until Dec. 31. Hundreds of tips about the case have come in over the years.

Vermette is still wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.

RCMP consider him to be armed and dangerous and violent.

He has brown hair, blue eyes, weighs 161 lbs and stands 5’9″. He has a tattoo on his upper right arm of a cat, with the word ‘Lucky’ inscribed below. On his upper left arm, he has a coyote and moon tattoo and a dagger through a red rose.