Mounties say they have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of an elderly Alberta couple earlier this month.
Police are seeking 38-year-old Travis Edward Vader, who is considered dangerous and may be armed. Police warn anyone who sees Vader is advised not to approach him, but to contact them immediately.
Assistant Commissioner Peter Hourihan announced the break on Friday afternoon, but would not elaborate on Vader's connection to the case of missing 78-year-old Lyle McCann and his 77-year-old wife Marie.
"At this time it's a person of interest, and that's all that I'm prepared to say," Hourihan said.
The couple went missing 13 days ago after leaving St. Albert, Alta., in their motorhome. They had planned a week-long camping trip in B.C., with various stops along the Yellowhead Highway en route.
On July 5, their motorhome was found burned to the ground on a dead-end road near the Minnow Lake campground near Edson, Alta. The vehicle they were towing, a Hyundai Tucson with Alberta licence plate ZPK 289, was gone.
Hourihan acknowledged criticism that police had mishandled the discovery of the motorhome, and had not responded properly to tipsters who reported seeing the couple's missing SUV in Prince George a week later.
"A couple mistakes have been made, I acknowledge that," Hourihan said. "There is a member that has been placed on administrative duty as a result of that."
Vader is described as 6-2 tall with short red hair and hazel eyes. He weighs about 220 lbs., and could have a goatee.
He was scheduled to appear in court in Fort Nelson on July 5 on charges of obstructing a police officer, mischief, and unauthorized possession of a firearm. He did not appear in court.
