Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story incorrectly represented evidence gathered at the scene. It has been updated to reflect that no useable fingerprints were developed from the evidence. Global News regrets the error.
The family of Marshal Iwaasa has launched a petition calling on police to classify his November 2019 disappearance as criminal so it can be further investigated.
The petition was launched Friday and calls for items found in relation to the case to be tested for DNA and fingerprints, and asks for a thorough search of Iwaasa’s last known location — a storage unit in Lethbridge.
It also calls for a fire investigation report to be completed and given to Lethbridge police after Iwaasa’s torched truck was found in a remote area last November. There has been no sign of him since.
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The petition also calls for more collaboration between Lethbridge police and the private investigators hired to work on the case by Iwaasa’s family.
Lethbridge police have said there is no evidence to show anyone other than Iwaasa was present when the vehicle was burned.
Lethbridge police say fingerprinting has been conducted with no usable prints developed from the processed evidence. All evidence is being retained for potential DNA testing, but cannot be tested by the RCMP crime lab unless officers have reasonable grounds to believe a DNA-designated criminal offence has been committed. At this time, investigators say no such evidence or grounds exist.
Lethbridge police said that from the onset of their investigation, Iwaasa’s disappearance has been considered suspicious, but there is no “credible, corroborated or compelling information to suggest foul play or that the occurrence is criminal in nature.”