In the early morning hours of August 18, 1995, the lives of two young men, 24-year-old Dominic Park and his 23-year-old friend Gareth Austin, took a turn into a mystery that has now spanned decades. The pair were last seen at approximately 2:30 a.m. at the Park Lane Motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta, a business owned and operated by Dominic's family where he also worked. An employee of the motel was the last known person to see them together, a final confirmed sighting before they seemingly vanished without a trace. Dominic's older brother had also heard the two friends on the phone at around 1:00 a.m. that same morning. From that point on, no one has reported seeing or hearing from either Dominic Park or Gareth Austin.
The initial days of their disappearance gave way to a significant but perplexing discovery.
Dominic's silver and red 1994 GMC pickup truck was found abandoned at a car dealership in Brooks, a town located about 110 kilometers northwest of Medicine Hat. The location of the truck deepened the mystery, raising questions about who had driven it there and why it was left. Publicly available information has not clarified what, if any, evidence was recovered from the vehicle. This finding was a crucial piece of the puzzle, yet it failed to provide any clear answers about the men's whereabouts or what might have happened to them after they were last seen at the motel. The police investigation has remained ongoing for years, but details about their intended destination or if they even left Medicine Hat together have not been publicly established.
Dominic Park was known to be physically fit and was reportedly trained in martial arts. At the family-run motel, he was involved in overseeing the on-site adult entertainment venue, Cheeter's Bar, which attracted a diverse clientele that included members of the local motorcycle community, military personnel, and seasonal workers. Gareth Austin, who was living in Calgary at the time, was staying at the Park Lane Motel and was reportedly in Medicine Hat to help a friend with moving furniture. Described as ambitious and creative, Gareth was passionate about music and was pursuing a career as a rapper under the name G.O.D., which stood for "Gareth On Display." A chilling detail emerged regarding a phone call Gareth made from a payphone at a Turbo gas station to his girlfriend, in which he reportedly told her that she would never see him again. The context and reason for this statement remain unclear. The disappearance of Dominic Park and Gareth Austin is a long-standing cold case that has left their families and the community searching for answers for over three decades. With no confirmed sightings or communication from either man since that August morning in 1995, their case remains an active and open investigation with the Medicine Hat Police Service.Last Seen: Aug 18, 1995
