DAVIDSON, Sask. - RCMP have laid murder charges in the case of a missing Saskatchewan man whose body they haven't found yet.
Sgt. Paul Dawson said Saturday that forensic investigators have a search warrant for a rural property in Davidson, northwest of Regina, and he says they are optimistic they will find 25-year-old Rob Vicente's body there.
"Our goal from the outset was to locate Rob to bring some sense of closure to his family, and we are optimistic that we will locate him so Rob's family can have a proper burial for their loved one," Dawson said.
Vicente was last seen leaving his mother's house near Davidson on Oct. 10 -- his burned-out car was found two days later in an abandoned farm field.
On Friday, police arrested Darak Andrew More, 22, of Saskatoon and Devin Riel Joseph Schmit, 20, of Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask.
The two suspects have both been charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm in connection with the case.
Police say Schmit was arrested without incident at a home in Fort Qu'Appelle, while More was arrested at the Regina Correctional Centre where he was serving a sentence on an un-related matter.
Many volunteers took part in searches for Vicente following his disappearance, but police said in November that they believed he was dead.
Throughout the holiday season, an electronic billboard in Davidson, ran a video clip of Vicente. It was hoped the billboard on the highway between Regina and Saskatoon would jog someone's memory.
The clip said: "I was a son. I was a brother. I was loved. I'm Rob Vicente and I'm no longer alive."
RCMP called Vicente's disappearance suspicious right from the start.
Dawson said Friday's arrests weren't the result of one big break in the case. Rather, he said they were a result of accumulating evidence.
"We've had a great deal of information and tips come from the public. The public has conducted searches looking for searches looking for Rob, and the search has been in the forefront of the public's attention," Dawson said.
Dawson said investigators were gathering at the rural property on Saturday and would be conducting their search over the next few days.
More and Schmit are both to appear in provincial court in Regina on Monday to face the allegations against them.
