Investigators believe that actor Stewart McLean, who has appeared on TV shows including Virgin River, may have been murdered after he went missing one week ago.
The Squamish RCMP received a missing person regarding McLean, 45, on Monday, May 18, after he was last seen on May 15 at his home in Lions Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
The RCMP first asked for public assistance in locating McLean on Tuesday, May 19, and the Lions Bays Search and Rescue led the initial search for him as a missing person.
While the case was initially a missing persons case, it was announced on Thursday, May 21, that the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team took over the search for McLean and authorities now believe he may be a homicide victim.
“On May 20, IHIT deployed and assumed conduct of the investigation,” a press release shared on May 21 said. “Squamish RCMP continues to work closely with IHIT and the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) to advance the investigation. Squamish RCMP initiated an investigation and, through investigative efforts, uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr. McLean was victim of homicide.”
Authorities are asking that anyone with information regarding McLean’s disappearance or the investigation call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp–grc.gc.ca.
Police have not revealed if there are any suspects in the case or theories about what may have happened to McLean.
McLean has been credited as Stew McLean in several of his acting projects, according to his IMDb profile.
He most recently appeared on a season 7 episode of Virgin River as the character Barfly. The latest season of the Netflix show, which films in British Columbia, premiered in March.
McLean’s other acting credits include appearances in the TV shows Murder in a Small Town, Happy Face, Arrow, Travelers and Beyond. Additionally, he appeared in the 2024 Lifetime TV movie The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story.
His first professional acting role was in a 2015 short film called Buddy Cops.
His IMDb profile also stated that he has worked as a producer and many of his projects have been filmed in the Vancouver area.
Following his disappearance, a talent agency that claimed to rep McLean posted took to Facebook to share a photo of him and express their concern. “We’re concerned about our dear client Stew McLean – Please see below and share,” Lucas Talent Inc. wrote.
