James McGrath, 72, vanished from Patrick’s Cove, Newfoundland & Labrador, in May 2001 after returning from his winter rental in Point Verde. He kept to himself and spent summers sleeping in a rusty car in a secluded pit on the community’s edge. In mid-May a taxi dropped him off near that pit with groceries and personal belongings; a short time later he was gone. Family reported him missing on May 31, 2001.

A large search followed involving the RCMP, Bay Roberts Wolverine Ground Search and Rescue, the Canadian Coast Guard, relatives and local residents. Searchers checked rugged terrain and abandoned buildings but found no sign of McGrath. At his campsite the groceries were untouched, his bank book and daily heart medications were left behind, and his whistle was found near the car. Rumors in the community say he sometimes carried money in a sock tied around his neck, a detail that has fed theories of foul play, but no definitive explanation has been established.

The disappearance remains an open investigation and a cold case. Did someone in the area see James in May 2001 or know anything about his summer routines that could help explain what happened?