EDMONTON- The RCMP Major Crime Unit is searching a rural property near Vegreville, as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance and death of an Edmonton man.
Robin Douglas Goodwin was last seen alive on September 22, 2006, at his workplace in Nisku. RCMP say he worked at a mining business.
Goodwin’s remains were discovered on November 3, 2007, after a resident came across pieces of clothing in a wooded area near Vegreville, according to RCMP.
Officers thoroughly searched the property- located about 25 kilometres west of Vegreville, near the Hamlet of Hilliard- after Goodwin’s remains were found in 2007.
On Saturday, members of Alberta’s special tactical operations team were deployed to the area as a result of information gathered throughout the course of the five and a half year investigation.
“There has been information that leads us to believe we should expand our search, which we are doing today,” explained Sergeant Josee Valiquette, media relations officer for “K” Division North.
Officers are searching for “either further human remains that belong to Mr. Goodwin, or items that might shed some light on what happened or who would be responsible for this homicide,” Valiquette said.
“We’d be looking for just about anything that would add evidence to the file. So it could be anything related to the victim themselves, whether that be articles of clothing, jewellery,” added Staff Sergeant Scott Fuller.
Fuller says officers are trained in specialized search techniques that have only recently been used in Canada.
“We’ve trained them, over the last several years, with what they call low-risk counter terrorist and evidentiary search techniques. It’s search techniques that arise out of the UK,” he explained. “It’s just far more specific in searching.”
About 25 officers, as well as search dogs, combed through the heavy brush and heavy grass Saturday. They arrived on scene at 8:00 a.m. Saturday and are expected search the area for three days.
Goodwin lived at the Maple Ridge mobile home park in Edmonton before he disappeared in 2006.
Officers are asking anyone who may have information in relation to the investigation to contact their local RCMP detachment. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
Below: Pictures of items located at the scene in 2007, as well as pictures from the scene Saturday, August 17, 2013.
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