In the winter of 1990, a 45-year-old man named William Richard Ostertag vanished from North Bay, Ontario, leaving behind a life that, by all accounts, was quiet and routine. The last confirmed contact anyone had with William was a phone call with his brother on December 16, 1990. At the time of his disappearance, he was an employee at a fast-food restaurant on Maplewood Avenue. Concern for his well-being grew when he failed to show up for his shift on December 17th.
This concern escalated when he also missed a work Christmas party on December 21st, an absence described as highly out of character for the dependable employee. This uncharacteristic behavior prompted his employer to contact the police and file a missing person report.
William, who had spent the majority of his life in Quebec, had only been a resident of North Bay for a short time before he went missing. He was known to have a medium build, standing at 5 feet 8 inches and weighing around 146 pounds. He had black, short, combed-over hair, hazel eyes, and a moustache with sideburns. His teeth were also noted to have visible decay. When he was last seen, it is believed he may have been wearing a blue or grey coat and possibly white pants, which he was known to wear for his job as a cook. A man of habit, William was also known to frequently hitchhike as his primary mode of transportation.
Investigations into his disappearance revealed that William had mentioned to some acquaintances that he planned to be out of town from December 18th to December 20th, 1990, though he did not specify his destination. Inquiries made with his family confirmed that he had not visited them during that time. The authorities pursued various leads, but the trail grew cold. The North Bay Police Service has maintained an open investigation into his case for decades, periodically renewing calls for public assistance. Despite the passage of time, the case of William Richard Ostertag remains an unsolved missing person investigation, a quiet man's sudden and unexplained absence that has left a void of unanswered questions.Last Seen: Dec 16, 1990
