In the small Interlake community of Moosehorn, Man. residents discuss the day’s news over card games of whist and canasta at the local seniors’ centre.

It’s not too often their own town makes headlines but on Wednesday news that RCMP homicide investigators were at the old Spearhill quarry became the talk of the town.

“I almost think whoever did it is dead it was so long ago,” said Erna Hasse.

That’s because it was 30 years ago, back in 1985, when Michael Kalanza, 80, disappeared from his home in nearby Faulkner, Man.

The circumstances surrounding his disappearance were considered suspicious but the case wasn’t considered a homicide until years later.

"This guy he used to drill wells,” said Elmer Hasse.  “That's the one reason I know him.  He drilled a well here in town for my foster mother and he was a comical guy and he did this for a living, you know.”

“So all of a sudden we heard he went missing, so that's the end of it."

It wasn’t until 1997, when a group of grade nine students on a field trip from Ashern unearthed human remains at the Spearhill quarry.

DNA testing confirmed they belonged to Kalanza.

RCMP Sgt. Bert Paquet said while the case is unsolved it has remained open since Kalanza’s disappearance.

Sgt. Paquet said investigators recently received new clues and so they’ve started conducting a new search at the quarry hoping to dig up new evidence to bring the killer to justice.

"New information obtained by our investigators relating to this specific case led us to a new approach and also to this site again," said Sgt. Paquet.

Investigators placed this blue tent over the spot where Kalanza's remains were found.

They’re hoping to find anything with a trace of DNA that could help them identify a suspect.

"Today, even a minute piece of DNA can be positively identified and analyzed and we're hoping we'll find that piece of the puzzle that can move the investigation forward in a positive way and bring a successful conclusion to this unsolved case."

Sgt. Paquet also said advancements in technology will allow for further forensic analysis of old evidence obtained from the original search of the site more than 15 years ago.

It’s not clear when the RCMP will end their search of the quarry.