North Bay police release age progressed image of man missing for almost 60 years

An age progressed photo of Philippe Guerin who went missing from North Bay, Ont., in 1966 created in collaboration with Ontario Provincial Police using a previously unknown photograph of Guerin along with current photographs of a sibling. (Supplied/North Bay Police Service)

The North Bay Police Service (NBPS) has released a new age-progression forensic sketch of a man who went missing from the city in 1966 amid renewed investigation efforts.

Philippe Guerin was 27 years old on June 12, 1966, when he went missing from the Ontario Hospital, a psychiatric hospital that was located in the north end of North Bay, Ont., and that has since been demolished. Guerin would be 85 this year.

“Hospital authorities sent a letter to the Widdifield Police Department to report him as missing,” said police in a news release.

“The Widdifield Police followed up on a lead from a North Bay clergyman who picked up a hitchhiker matching Philippe’s description in the Sudbury area at Falconbridge.”

The clergyman told police he dropped the hitchhiker at the junction of Highways 17 and 11, south of North Bay and that he had said he was headed to Sacré-Coeur, Que.

Guerin was described as a 5’7 Caucasian male with brown eyes and short brown hair and a medium build. Police also noted he had no upper teeth when he went missing.

Widdifield Police were never able to locate Guerin and the investigation, now with the NBPS, remains unsolved – now the police service’s oldest open missing person case.

With the support of Guerin’s family, an age-progressed image has been created through a collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police using a previously unknown photograph of Guerin along with current photographs of a sibling.

Anyone with information about Guerin or any other unsolved missing persons case is asked to contact North Bay police at 705-497-5555, Option 5, or email the NBPS at [e-mail] or may contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.

NBPS continues to investigate all unsolved missing persons investigations. A full list of unsolved missing person investigations can be found on its website.