Arthur Joseph Roy Missing Person Case

In the late summer of 1977, in the city of North Bay, Ontario, an elderly man named Arthur Joseph Roy, at the age of 81, embarked on a journey from which he would not return. On September 18th, at approximately 2:00 in the afternoon, Mr. Roy left his residence on foot. He was a man experiencing the challenges of his advanced years, reportedly dealing with a mental illness and what was believed to be senility. The last confirmed sighting of him was later that same day, walking along Highway 11, a considerable distance of over 10 miles from his home, much of it an uphill trek. This location was near the old North Bay Psychiatric Hospital, though he had no known connection to the institution.

Concern for Arthur's welfare grew as hours turned into days with no word of his whereabouts. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as a white male, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 174 pounds, with grey hair and brown eyes. He wore glasses and had false teeth. The outfit he was last seen in consisted of an orange, short-sleeved shirt, grey pants held up by black suspenders, a grey coat, a black hat, and black shoes. The North Bay Police Service was notified and opened an investigation into his disappearance, assigning it case number 77-7222. The circumstances were particularly troubling to investigators as it was stated that he had never disappeared in such a manner before.

Decades have passed since Arthur Joseph Roy was last seen, and his case has grown cold, leaving a void of unanswered questions. The initial searches and investigations yielded no clues as to his fate. The sighting on Highway 11 remains the last piece of a puzzle that has remained unsolved for over four decades. The considerable distance he traveled on foot, given his age and health, has been a perplexing detail for those who have looked into his case. Despite the passage of time, the hope for answers endures. This overview of the case serves as a reminder of a life that seemingly vanished without a trace, a story of an elderly man who walked away from his home one autumn afternoon and into the annals of Ontario's unsolved missing person cases.
Last Seen: Sep 18, 1977

Canada's Missing - RCMP case 2014002218