‘Public interest’ prompts B.C. coroner to release details in death of Ben Kilmer

VICTORIA – The British Columbia Coroners Service has taken the unusual step of confirming suicide in the death of a Victoria-area man who disappeared last year and was not found for five months.

Ben Kilmer, a 41-year-old father of two, vanished last May after leaving his work van running on a residential road west of Duncan.

An extensive search found no sign of him, but a hiker in the Cowichan Valley discovered his body in October.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

WATCH: (Aired July 6, 2018) Family of missing Cowichan man appeals for help

2:09 Family of missing Cowichan man appeals for help

The coroner has ruled Kilmer died of asphyxiation.

Andy Watson with the B.C. Coroners Service says the details in the public report were carefully considered and the chief coroner determined the public interest in disclosing the information outweighed Kilmer’s personal privacy.

A statement issued by the coroners service says “the brief summary in the coroner’s report establishes the facts, addresses speculation and quiets the public imagination.”