Missing Vancouver Island man found dead, police suspect criminality

Police on Vancouver Island are treating the death of a missing man found in a wooded area near Lake Cowichan as suspicious.

In a Tuesday media release, the Vancouver Island Major Crime Unit said someone found the man’s body in a remote forested area about an hour west of the community on Sunday, May 14.

“Initial evidence gathered at the scene led investigators to believe criminality was involved,” RCMP Cpl. Alex Bérubé said in the release.

“Unfortunately, the deceased was identified as 42-year-old Joseph Alexander Smith, who was reported missing on May 9, 2023.”

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According to RCMP, Smith was last seen around 3:30 p.m. in Duncan on May 2.

At the time, he was wearing a T-shirt, a dark jacket, dark fleece pants and Air Jordan brand shoes.

Police said they have engaged several specialized units, including police service dogs and the RCMP Forensic Identification Section to aid with the investigation.

Anyone with information or with video shot in the area of Ditidaht Main logging road and North Shore logging road on May 4 is asked to contact RCMP at 250-380-6211.