Latest news with #JustinMacDonald
Global News
29-05-2025
- Global News
Police confirm remains found in Cape Breton belong to missing man Justin MacDonald
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Police in Nova Scotia say remains found in Cape Breton earlier this week are those of Justin MacDonald. The Cape Breton Regional Police Service says an autopsy confirmed his death was a homicide. The 34-year-old was last seen alive around at 11 p.m. on July 7, 2024, at an Irving gas station in North Sydney, N.S. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy His remains were found Monday near Morley Road, a dirt and gravel road that cuts through a forested area roughly 20 kilometres south of North Sydney. Three men were charged in December in connection with his death. The men face various charges between them, including second-degree murder, robbery and assault. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Remains found in Sydney confirmed to be those of Justin MacDonald
Justin MacDonald, who was reported missing on July 7, 2024, is pictured. Police in Cape Breton confirm remains discovered earlier this week near Morley Road have been identified as those of Justin MacDonald. The Cape Breton Reginal Police says the Medical Examiner's Officer has competed work and autopsy results also confirm MacDonald was the victim of a homicide. Justin MacDonald's father, Ken MacDonald, told CTV News Wednesday that he and a friend found his son's remains while searching the Morley Road area in Sydney, N.S., on Monday afternoon. 'We were just looking for anything. He said, 'I think I see a sandal' and when we matched it up I said, 'That's Justin's,'' said Ken MacDonald. Justin MacDonald Ken and Peggy MacDonald hold a picture of their son Justin on May 28, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Ryan MacDonald) MacDonald and his wife Peggy have been out searching almost every day since their son was last seen. He says they found the remains not far from where they found the sandal and contacted police. 'We saw his shirt and I saw the skull and I searched around, and then emotions took over and I called police right away,' said MacDonald. 'Justin's birthday is this Saturday. He would be 35. It was a long road. We're almost a year, it was a long road and now we get to bring him home.' Police said they were called to the Morley Road area around 5 p.m. Monday. As of Thursday, the scene has been cleared by police. Kenneth 'Justin' MacDonald, 34, was last seen on surveillance footage at the Irving gas station on Commercial Street in North Sydney, N.S., on July 7, 2024. He was reported missing the next day. Investigators found his vehicle, a blue Kia Forte, roughly 25 kilometers away in the Ormand Crescent area of Mira Road on July 10. Police announced in November 2024 they were treating his disappearance as a homicide. Three men were arrested and charged in December 2024 in connection with MacDonald's disappearance and murder. Aaron Curtis Mickey, 45, was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and four firearm-related offences. Ryan Joseph Pyke, 36, was charged with second-degree murder and robbery. Mitchell McPhee, 38, was charged with manslaughter, robbery and assault. In January, police issued a public plea for help in finding MacDonald's remains. Investigators have previously said MacDonald's death was an isolated incident and not a random act. With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald and Andrea Jerrett For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Father of missing Cape Breton man believes he found his son's remains
Justin MacDonald, 34, disappeared in July and police said in November they considered his case a homicide. Earlier this week, his father and a volunteer found human remains near Sydney. Kyle Moore has the story.
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
'We found our son': Remains discovered near Sydney those of Justin MacDonald, says father
Human remains found Monday in a rural area south of Sydney, N.S., are those of Justin MacDonald, said the missing man's father, whose tireless search for his son ended two days ago when he came across a familiar-looking shirt and sandal. Ken MacDonald told CBC News in an interview he and another man were out searching on Morley Road around 5 p.m. when they spotted the items that matched ones belonging to the 34-year-old man. A skull was also found. While police and the medical examiner have not yet identified the remains, MacDonald said he's confident "we found our son." "Right now it's unofficial, but I got so many people behind us, so many people who supported us and so many missing people out there in the world, I wanted them to know [on] Monday night, after searching 322 days ... we're bringing Justin home," he said. Justin MacDonald was last seen on July 7, 2024, around 11 p.m. local time at the Irving gas station in North Sydney, where he appeared on the store's security camera. His vehicle was found about 25 kilometres away in the Ormond Crescent area of Mira Road. Police said in November they considered his case a homicide, though his remains had not been found. Three people were charged in the case the following month. Ken MacDonald said his "emotions took over" when his son's remains were found, and he called police right away. Investigators have been on the scene since Monday, and a drone could be seen flying over the area Tuesday. Police have asked the public to stay away from the area while they carry out their investigation. MacDonald said his son's bracelet was later found at the site. It's a unique bracelet gifted from a good friend with one side reading, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright." "So without their [police] verification, we know 100 per cent," he said. MacDonald said stopping the search was never an option, despite snow and rain that threatened to hamper efforts. He said members of the community who volunteered to help were out looking every day, from one end of Cape Breton to the other, following up on every lead. MacDonald said the family now has to wait to hear back from the medical examiner's officer to get the official identification of the remains. Once that comes, MacDonald said they will plan a funeral service. Police said Wednesday in an email there was no further update. The cases of the three people charged in connection with Justin MacDonald's death and disappearance remain before the court. Aaron Curtis Mickey, 45, has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and four firearm-related offences. His co-accused, Ryan Joseph Pike, also faces charges of second-degree murder and robbery. A third accused, Mitchell George McPhee, 38, is charged with manslaughter in MacDonald's disappearance and with the robbery and assault of another man. Ken MacDonald said Wednesday it's been "a long road" to get to this point, noting the past year has been full of "so many stories and rumours." His son would have turned 35 this Saturday, he said. "It's emotionally draining and it's happy to a point that we'll now be able to have a funeral. Before that, we never had that chance," he said. "We're bringing him home, we are bringing him home."
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Father of murdered Cape Breton man says he has found son's remains
Justin MacDonald, who was reported missing on July 7, 2024, is pictured. The father of a missing Cape Breton man believed to have been murdered says he has found his son's remains. Ken MacDonald told CTV News he and his friend were out searching the Morley Road area in Sydney, N.S., Monday afternoon when they made the discovery. Cape Breton Regional Police have confirmed they found possible human remains in the area but have not said whether they belong to Justin MacDonald. Police said they were called to the Morley Road area around 5 p.m. Monday. Kenneth 'Justin' MacDonald, 34, was last seen on surveillance footage at the Irving gas station on Commercial Street in North Sydney, N.S., on July 7, 2024. He was reported missing the next day. Investigators found his vehicle, a blue Kia Forte, roughly 25 kilometers away in the Ormand Crescent area of Mira Road on July 10. Police announced in November 2024 they were treating his disappearance as a homicide. Three men were arrested and charged in December 2024 in connection with MacDonald's disappearance and murder. Aaron Curtis Mickey, 45, was charged with second-degree murder, robbery and four firearm-related offences. Ryan Joseph Pyke, 36, was charged with second-degree murder and robbery. Mitchell McPhee, 38, was charged with manslaughter, robbery and assault. In January, police issued a public plea for help in finding MacDonald's remains. Investigators have previously said MacDonald's death was an isolated incident and not a random act. More to come... For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
