In the early hours of March 18, 2024, a 27-year-old Indigenous man named Dean Morningstar Mattinas was seen leaving an elder's home in Constance Lake First Nation, Ontario. He was later spotted around 9:30 a.m. walking near the bush line along Highway 11, approximately six kilometers west of the community. It is believed that Dean, a resident of Thunder Bay, was attempting to hitchhike the roughly 500-kilometer distance back to his home.
He had a meeting to attend in Thunder Bay by March 20, before he was scheduled to fly to Sandy Lake First Nation for work. Dean is described as being five feet ten inches tall with an athletic build, black hair, brown eyes, a thin moustache, and slight sideburns. When he was last seen, he was wearing a camouflage-patterned or beige jacket, blue jeans, and brown boots, and was possibly carrying a black Under Armour backpack and/or a brown backpack.
Concern grew when Dean's father, Dean Mattinas Sr., sent him a message on Facebook on March 27 that went undelivered. The family then began to alert friends and relatives, officially reporting him missing to the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service a couple of days later. The family, deeply worried, initiated their own search efforts, conducting ground searches and distributing flyers in both Thunder Bay and Constance Lake. Dean's father has been relentless in his search, venturing into the northern Ontario bush daily, regardless of the weather, looking for any sign of his son. The disappearance has been especially painful for his family, who describe him as an outgoing and hardworking man who is close with his relatives.
The investigation into Dean's disappearance is being handled by the Ontario Provincial Police with assistance from NAPS. The OPP has utilized specialized units in their search efforts, including their Emergency Response Team, a canine unit, and aviation services, though these searches have not yet located him. In an effort to generate new leads, a $50,000 reward has been offered for information that helps to find Dean. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain undetermined as authorities and his heartbroken family continue to seek answers. The case remains an active missing person investigation, a deeply troubling situation for his loved ones and community who are holding out hope for his safe return.Last Seen: Mar 18, 2024
