CANADA Canada - George Weeden, 63, & Meryl Newcombe, 50, Chapleau, Ont, 29 Oct 1959

Richard

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Two hunters missing for 50 years...


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George Weeden
Reported missing on October 29, 1959 from Chapleau, Ontario, Canada
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics


Date Of Birth: 1896/1897
Age at Time of Disappearance: 63 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: White Male. He had been seriously injured in a train wreck in 1941 in which he had suffered a broken back and severe injuries to his right leg. Very tough time walking anywhere.
Agency Case Number: 20080169
_______________________________________________

Meryl Newcombe
Reported missing on October 29, 1959 from Chapleau, Ontario, Canada
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1909
Age at Time of Disappearance: 50 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics: White Male.
Agency Case Number: 20080172

----------------------------------------------------

Circumstances of Disappearance


George Weeden and Meryl Newcombe were reported missing to White River Ontario Provincial Police on October 29, 1959.

The two men had been at a lodge operated by Mr. Newcombe at Mile 107 of the CPR line, west of Chapleau, Ontario. Weeden and Newcombe had planned a hunting trip and both were last seen between mile marker 106 and 107 of the CPR line.

A large-scale search was conducted at the time, and again in the following spring (1960). The search failed to locate the two men, and to date, they have not been located.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Superior East OPP Detachment
877-934-6363

Source Information:

Ontario Provincial Police
The Doe Network: Case File 4028DMON (George Weeden)
The Doe Network: Case File 4029DMON (Meryl Newcombe)


LINKS:
http://doenetwork.org/cases/4028dmon.html

http://doenetwork.org/cases/4029dmon.html
 
Hey, came across this one and your UID # 334 had a belt with a letter "G" on it. Could this be George?
 
Meryl Newcombe

Age
50
Born: 1909
Race White
Sex Male
Location White River and Chapleau, Ontario
Disappeared October 23, 1959
Missing for 61 years

--------------------------------

George Weeden

Age
61 - 63
Race White
Sex Male
Location White River and Chapleau, Ontario
Disappeared October 23, 1959
Missing for 61 years
  • George was the victim of a train accident in 1941, leaving him with a broken back and severe injuries to his right leg. Because of this, he has severe mobility issues.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Circumstances:

On October 22, 1959, Meryl and George boarded a train heading westbound to Amyot. They were planning a hunting trip and were going to stay at Meryl's family operated lodge, which was located at Mile 107 of the CPR line. They were last seen between mile markers 106 and 107 by the train's crew members and two Indigenous trappers.

The two men were reported missing after they failed to show up for work on October 27 or 29, 1959. Despite a massive search for them being carried out at the time and another one taking place in the spring of 1960, neither man has been found.

LINKS:

Meryl Newcombe

George Weeden
 
I dont understand how someone who had severe mobility issues and trouble walking going on a hunting trip? George probably couldn't walk or hold a gun while walking for any length of time. Is hunting trip code for something else in this situation?
 
From the information given in the case summary, it would seem that the two men were only planning to be away from home and staying at the cabin/lodge for 5 to 7 days. October in Ontario is not particularly cold, but rather pleasant fall weather.

If they were actually going to do some hunting, it would likely have been small game like rabbits or squirrels - or maybe upland birds like pheasant or grouse. Deer seasons usually start about mid November.

Was it ever stated if they took equipment or firearms with them on the train? Or were they expecting to find what they needed already at the lodge?

How far from the station was this lodge? And was it open/operated year round, or was it simply a cabin which remained closed most of the year? If the latter was the case, perhaps on arrival they surprised some squatters who were staying there.

Merle+Newcombe+Bear+Jul+56.jpg

MERLE NEWCOMBE IN JULY OF 1956.


LINKS:

Meryl Newcombe

George Weeden

Whispers in the Woods — SPINE ONLINE
 
Last edited:
...
For a small, isolated and sparsely populated region, there seems to have been an extraordinary number of violent crimes. The first victim was Jack McKee (1922), followed by Willie Saylors (1937), Dan Tessier (1946), Jack Hargis (1948), Steve Klapouschak (1954) and Erwin Stocken (1957).

The killers of Jack McKee, Willie Saylors and Erwin Stocken were all charged with murder but were acquitted by juries. No one was ever charged with the murder of Dan Tessier. Two drifters were convicted of murdering Jack Hargis but their convictions were set aside by the Ontario Court of Appeal and they walked.

In the late fall of 1959, George Weeden and Merle Newcombe, two Chapleau railroaders, set out for Amyot, Ontario for a weekend of moose hunting. They were seen one day after arriving at Amyot and then disappeared off the face of the earth and, in spite of massive searches that fall and the next spring, they were never heard from again...

LINK:

The Chapleau Game Preserve: History, Murder, and Other Tales by William E. McLeod
 

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