Case Analysis

Nick Leonard was last seen on September 1, 1990 when he was dropped off to walk to a cabin near Wabush for the Labour Day weekend. He hasn't been seen since. Nick's father in-law had a cabin near Wabush where Nick would often visit since he enjoyed the outdoors. While the cabin was accessible through the lake system by kayak, Nick usually preferred to walk (about 6 km) from the outskirts of town. A couple of days before he left to go to the cabin for the weekend, Nick received bad news from back home in Conception Harbour, as his sister passed away with cancer. Nick got a ride to Elephant Head Road at 9am on Sep 1st with his backpack to trek to the Porter cabin on Loon Lake, leaving his family thinking he would return on Monday. When he didn't, his family contacted the police. After Nick was reported missing, the cabin had been found in some diserray. Two Coleman lanterns, that had been hanging in the camp were beat up. The item believed used was a shovel, which was located by the front door. A drawer with knives was found on the floor. The kayak was always tied up with two slipknots but this time the ropes had been cut, rather than untied. A butcher knife from the kitchen drawer was stuck in the ground, near where the ropes were cut. An envelope with more than $100 cash was discovered in the kitchen cupboard. Nicks wallet was not located. The next morning a helicopter search yielded the kayak paddle floating in the middle of the Lower Loon Lake, and later the kayak was found, in water that was only 12 inches deep. A little while later the pilot spotted Nick's knapsack. After this search, a witness came forward who stated they saw Nick on September 1, kayaking around 3 in the afternoon. The witness recalled that Nick came ashore and spent about a half hour with two men. Although it was only six hours after he was dropped off to spend two nights at the Porter cabin, Nick told the men he was heading home. Nick's eyes reportedly had a distant look and appeared glassy-like; both men told him he should stay for the night. Nick then told them he couldn't stay because he had to get home before his babysitter left. This statement struck his family as strange as there was no babysitter, the children were with their mother. Nick reportedly drank two beers at that stop and proceeded down Lower Loon in the kayak. The men said they watched as he made his way and they lost sight of him near the area where the overturned kayak was later found. The search concentrated to an area of the lake about 300 feet by 1,000 feet, where the kayak was found, and Nick was last sighted. The depth was an average of about 25 to 30 feet with the deepest place estimated at 62 feet. The bottom was muddy and easily stirred up. Nothing else linked to Nick was recovered. The official search lasted two and a half days. The lake was also dragged, and no trace of the Nicks body was ever found. Nick was a strong swimmer and agile woodsman. His family finds it hard to accept that he would have drowned.