Missing man’s family plans vigil for his birthday
Three police departments continue to investigate disappearance of Calgarian
The family of a missing Calgary man is hosting a vigil on his 27th birthday to raise awareness of his sudden disappearance in November.
At the time of year when they usually spend time together celebrating Christmas, New Year’s Day and Marshal Iwaasa’s birthday on Jan. 3, his family is organizing a vigil at his former high school. At 6:30 p.m. on Friday, his family, friends and community members will light candles and share stories about Iwaasa at Winston Churchill High School in Lethbridge to spread awareness of his disappearance.
Since Iwaasa went missing Nov. 17 after leaving his family in Lethbridge to return home to Calgary, his family has been pinning up posters of the 26-year-old at gas stations and businesses across southern Alberta and B.C. The Find Marshal Iwaasa Facebook page has more than 8,500 members who are printing out posters to hang in their workplaces or sharing the poster on their own Facebook newsfeed.
“We know that the only way we’ll be able to find Marshal is with everyone’s help, so we are hoping to spread the word about him. We will share stories about Marshal so that people know who he is and who they are looking for, the kind of man that he is,” said Iwaasa’s mother, Tammy Johnson.
Since he and his sister, Paige Fogen, celebrate birthdays so close to Christmas, the holidays have always been an exciting time for their family. Johnson said the siblings have never spent the holidays apart, even after Fogen moved to Hawaii with her husband.
Last year, Iwaasa visited Hawaii to celebrate with ugly Christmas sweaters and a bonfire on the beach. The two siblings went diving with sharks for their birthdays, itching to satisfy their desire for adventure, according to their mother.
“Paige and Marshal are best friends. Their bond is unreal,” said Johnson, fighting back tears. “With this time of the year being so special for our family, it has been especially hard for us to not have Marshal with us.”
Lethbridge police continue the search for Iwaasa after taking over the missing person’s investigation from RCMP in Pemberton, B.C., and Calgary police, though Sgt. Saska Vanhala said the three departments continue to work together on the case. The B.C. RCMP searched for just over a week in November near Pemberton, north of Whistler, after Iwaasa’s truck was discovered burned out in the backcountry on Nov. 25.
Vanhala said Lethbridge police have ruled out several possible sightings of Iwaasa and leads on his location they have received.
“If tips come in, we continue to follow up on those tips but we have no new information. We’re processing evidence and will continue to investigate this in an effort to find him,” Vanhala said.
Iwaasa is described as fivefoot-11 and about 170 pounds, with brown eyes, shoulder-length brown hair that is usually worn tied back and a moustache.
“We are so thankful for the prayers and love that have been sent to us. We just want people to know what he looks like and know that he’s missing because the more exposure this gets, the better,” said Johnson.
The vigil is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Winston Churchill High School, at 1605 15th Ave. N. in Lethbridge. The family will provide candles for those who attend and will also livestream the vigil on the Find Marshal Iwaasa Facebook page.