‘He should still be here’: Plea for tips after Indigenous man’s remains found in B.C. community

Christopher Newton is seen in an image provided by the B.C. RCMP.

Authorities are asking for the public’s help investigating the death of an Indigenous man who was found dead in the community of Nelson, B.C., last year.

Christopher Newton’s remains were discovered on June 4, some 18 months after his last known sighting in the nearby 2 Mile area, according to the B.C. RCMP.

He was 33 years old.

It wasn’t until last month that the B.C. Coroners Service was able to confirm Newton’s identity, and the RCMP said investigators are now working to piece together a timeline leading up to his death.

In a statement, Cpl. Meghan Foster, non-commissioned officer in charge of the RCMP’s Southeast District General Investigation Section, said there are still “many unanswered questions about what happened to Christopher.”

Newton’s family said the mystery surrounding his death—and his December 2023 disappearance—has been agonizing for them.

The deceased’s mother, Christine Moore, said she lives “every day with the heartbreak” of losing her son, who was “loved beyond words.”

“He should still be here,” Moore said, in a statement provided by the RCMP.

“We believe someone knows more than they have said, and even the smallest piece of information could help bring us closer to answers. If you know something, we are asking you to please come forward.”

“Please do not let our family go on living with these unanswered questions while the truth is still being kept in silence,” she added. “Christopher mattered.”

The B.C. RCMP asked anyone who may have seen Newton or interacted with him between Dec. 24, 2023 and June 4, 2025 to contact the Southeast District General Investigation Section at 250-470-6222 and quote file number 2026-856.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.