Cadaver dog finds no trace of missing man
Psychic readings compel Kenny MacNeil’s family to continue search
An RCMP cadaver dog has turned up no trace of a Leitches Creek man who went missing from his home three years ago.
A specialized policing team was deployed Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Kenneth (Kenny) MacNeil.
MacNeil was last seen at his modest trailer behind the Upper Leitches Creek home of his older brother John, and sister-in-law, Wendy, on Aug. 27, 2014.
Family members say MacNeil was hospitalized for acting out of character prior to his disappearance but was in fine spirits on the day he vanished.
John MacNeil said Wednesday that he made a request to the Cape Breton Regional Police to have a dog trained in finding deceased persons come to his property
MacNeil said the idea came to him after a reading in August with psychic medium Mary Boutilier of Lantz, N.S., who passed away earlier this month.
It was the second time that the MacNeil family has leaned on a psychic for clues as to why Kenny suddenly disappeared without a trace. MacNeil said a psychic stationed in Alberta told them that Kenny wasn’t feeling well the day he disappeared and had wandered off the property. The family was given a similar story from Boutilier.
“She told us about my brother Kenny being in around the area and that he could see the house,” he said. “She said almost word for word what this lady out in Calgary had told us — Kenny being in an area that he can see the house and he’s on our property.
“That stirred me up a little bit, thinking maybe he’s here somewhere — not that I have all that much belief or faith in these people — but there’s something strange going on when two people from opposite ends of the country have similar stories.”
MacNeil said an RCMP canine team scoured his property for about eight hours Tuesday, including an area near a third brother’s house on nearby Lyles Lane.
Police also searched up the road where a pair of sneakers had been found in the mud by volunteer search and rescuers out looking for Kenny after he vanished. Family members were unable confirm if the footwear actually belonged to the missing man.
MacNeil said the Mountie who searched around his home had mentioned coming back to focus on the shoreline around MacIsaacs Lake located about 2.5 kilometers from the MacNeil property.
“We’re still not closer to a truth,” said MacNeil. “All we want to know is where he’s at, if he’s safe, or if he’s dead. We just want to know.”
According to the MacNeils, Kenny had been living inside a trailer on their rural property for about nine months and was adjusting well to life in the country after overcoming several personal problems.
On the morning of Aug. 27, Kenny spent the morning out running errands with his sister-in-law. It was dark later that evening, when his dog, Lucky, showed up alone in the neighbouring yard.
Kenny MacNeil is described as five-foot-six and 120 pounds. He has a slim build and greyish-black hair that falls below his ears but is above his shoulders.
He was last seen wearing green flowered shorts and a grey T-shirt.
Anyone with information about his disappearance is asked to call Cape Breton Regional Police at 902-5635151 or contact Cape Breton Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 902-562-8477.