The search for a missing New West senior came to a tragic end on Monday, when the body of Mathieu Joseph Racine was found near the 22nd Street SkyTrain station.
For more than five days, New Westminster police had been searching for the missing 76-year-old, who was last seen at his home in the 400 block of Third Avenue around 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Investigators had even gone as far as to ask local residents to check their garages and sheds for any sign Racine might have been seeking refuge from the poor weather during the past few days.
But around 3 p.m. on Monday, a passerby spotted Racine’s body on an embankment in the 2200 block of Seventh Avenue, just south of the 22nd Street SkyTrain station.
“The outcome is the worst kind of ‘worst case scenario,’” said Acting Sgt. Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the New Westminster Police Department.
Police were especially concerned for Racine’s well-being because the senior suffered from dementia and glaucoma. He had disappeared before, but was usually found quickly, either wandering the streets or inside 24-hour coffee shops.
While investigators continue to investigate Racine’s death, foul play or any criminal activity has been ruled out, Scott told the Record. Investigators are now trying to piece together Racine’s movements over the past few days to see how he ended up near the SkyTrain station, nearly 20 blocks from his home.
“We are still reviewing a number of different surveillance footages that would have been in and around the SkyTrain and other businesses …, just to see what may have led up to (Racine) getting there,” he added.
It’s now up to the B.C. Coroners Service to determine Racine’s cause of death. The Record spoke with coroner spokesperson Barbara McLintock, who confirmed the Coroners Service is investigating, but it was still too soon to say what killed Racine.
