British Columbian Mounties have taken the unusual step of releasing a video reenactment about a young Australian who disappeared from the Kootenays this summer in the hopes it will shed light on a case growing cold by the day.
It's been nearly three months since Owen Kiernan Rooney was last seen at the hospital in Grand Forks on Aug. 14.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dan Moskaluk told ctvbc.ca it's hoped the two-minute video will keep the story in the headlines, and jog the memories of anyone who came into contact with the traveler around that time.
"We're dealing with limited information so the video appeal helps us," he said. "With the advent of social media tools we can keep that video up for an extended period of time."
The video describes how police initially found Owen, acting strangely and appearing injured, in Christina Lake. After declining medical treatment, officers describe dropping him off at the bus depot, where he purchased a ticket to Kelowna. The 24-year-old had just completed a season at the Big White ski resort and was spending the summer in the Okanagan city.
"Owen got on the bus and shortly thereafter got off and asked for directions about how to get to the hospital. He then left the Greyhound bus depot," Cpl. Richard Lanz said.
The video shows a young man sitting at a picnic table at the hospital, the spot where Owen was last seen reading a book. He left a backpack containing all of his clothes and his cell phone behind. Police say Owen's wallet and ID papers weren't in the bag and haven't been found.
Later, three ground searches aided by two search and rescue teams and the RCMP helicopter were unsuccessful.
Owen's mother, Sharron, who travelled from Australia to help find her son, said in the video she believes the fact he was injured may be a factor in his disappearance.
"We're unsure about his mental capabilities when he walked out of the hospital without his belongings. For him to have done that he would have had to be in some disarray in his mental state," she said.
Owen was at an electronic music festival, Shambala, that weekend. Police said Owen appeared to be beaten up, with a bruised face, when they first came into contact with him.
"We're just pleading with the public to come forward with any information they might have about Owen's last … his disappearance," his father, Steve Rooney, says.
Cpl. Moskaluk said the success of solving the now cold case is dependent on keeping Rooney's name in the public eye.
"With the assistance of all media we've got excellent coverage all across Alberta, B.C. and Washington State," he said. "We want to do anything and everything we can."
Rooney is 5-9 tall, and weighs 161 pounds. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He also has two tattoos: one on his shoulder, about three inches in diameter, is a circle with a Celtic star around it. The other is a logo of a triangle with a kangaroo on his calf.
