Disappearance of Vernon Otto now being investigated as a homicide: RCMP
RCMP is now investigating the disappearance of a Manitoba man four years ago as a homicide.
Vernon Otto, who was 66 years old at the time of his disappearance, was last seen in Stead, Man., when he met with his family on the morning of May 29, 2018.
Otto said he was going to run errands, do yard work at his home and planned to go look at a crawler tractor.
Officers say he was spoken to later that day at around 1 p.m., and was believed to be working in his field near Stead. RCMP said this was the last confirmed contact anyone had with him.
One day later, his burned pickup truck was found a short distance from his home on Road 94 Northwest of Highway 12. RCMP said the cause of the fire was determined to be arson.
A map provided by Manitoba RCMP show key locations in the investigation into Vernon Otto's disappearance. Police are looking to speak with anyone who had potential business dealing with Vernon regarding the purchase or sale of a crawler tractor or any large construction or farming implement in May of 2018.
Earlier this month, RCMP asked the public for tips and information in connection with Otto’s disappearance. They also distributed information pamphlets in the Stead area looking for information.
“Based on the tips received, in conjunction with evidence gathered over the past four years, RCMP Major Crime Services is now investigating Vernon Otto’s disappearance as a homicide,” a release from RCMP reads.
Investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have seen or had contact with Otto on May 29, 2018, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Anyone with information can call the RCMP Tip Line at 1-888-673-3316.
- with files from CTV News' Katherine Dow
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.