Alberta man won a million dollars and then disappeared

Joshua Francis Saulteaux won a million dollars on a scratch-and-win ticket. Several weeks later, he vanished.

And now his family in the Northern Alberta community where the 25-year-old was last seen fears the win might have something to do with his disappearance.

“It’s more of a curse than a blessing,” his uncle, Francis Morin, tells 660 NewsRadio.

Saulteaux was last seen on May 5. The next day, one of his cousins went to look for him in his new RV, a purchase made possible by his lottery win. The RV was parked by his mother’s house in White Fish Lake First Nations, located about 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Morin says they found a disturbing scene, including blood splattered inside and no sign of the young man.

That was just a few weeks after his big win and a day after he told his mother he was worried that people were after him.

RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell says the RCMP and partners have done extensive searches in the remote community by air and ground.

And the investigation, led by major crimes, is ongoing. They have done some polygraphs, seized property and are waiting on some forensic testing, too. 

At this point, they have nothing to indicate foul play and nothing to rule it out either, he says.

“I understand the frustration. This investigation is important, and it is still open, and we are still actively looking for this young man, and we are still following up on any tips or leads we get,” Howell says. “We’ve interviewed over 60 different people and done an extensive investigation.”

There is also a possibility that Joshua left his RV wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather conditions, but that is just one of numerous possibilities still on the table.

As time marches on, Morin says it’s getting hard to be optimistic.

“We just want him back, even if he’s deceased; we want to lay him to rest, at least if we know where he is and find him, we can be at peace,” he says. “The longer the time goes on, the more hope is taken from you.”

“There are some stories going around, but no one is saying anything, and no one knows anything…and we are just in shambles.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers or the RCMP.