Police have made an arrest relating to the disappearance of Michael Scullion.
The Chilliwack father was last seen in the early morning hours of April 10 outside of the Harrison Crossroads Inn in Agassiz. He was 30 years old at the time.
After Scullion failed to show up for work or pick up his daughter later that day, he was reported missing by his family.
Just days later, and following an extensive air and land search, RCMP had determined Scullion's disappearance was likely the result of foul play. The case was handed over to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, with the help of Agassiz RCMP.
Friends had reported Scullion was seen that night in an altercation in the pub at the hotel, which has since burned down. When they went outside to find him, he was gone.
The case was transferred to the IHIT Cold Case Team in March 2012, and last Friday, police arrested and charged a Rosedale man, Richard MacInnes, with the second degree murder of Scullion. MacInnes, 45, has also been charged with indignity to human remains.
He made his first court appearance this week in a Chilliwack court room.
Scullion's body has never been recovered, but IHIT said the details of the case led them to no other conclusion than a homicide.
"In this circumstance, our Cold Case investigators were able to obtain sufficient evidence to support that Michael Scullion was no longer alive and there was no other reasonable explanation for him being missing other than him being the victim of a homicide." said Sgt. Adam MacIntosh of IHIT.
Months after Scullion's disappearance, the community banded together to create a trust fund for Scullion's then eight-year-old daughter.
Scullion's family has been waiting six years for an arrest to made.
“I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of my family to say thank-you to the many people who have shown their love, support and understanding to help us deal with this horrible situation,” said Lou Scullion, Michael's father.
“We would also like to give a special thank-you to the RCMP and IHIT for never giving up. We are very grateful, thank-you.”