OPP statement on identification of Trout Lake remains

The following is the continuation of an OPP news release issued today:

************************* Backgrounder: The investigation - On the morning of May 29, 1956, the only family members at home were Allan and Margaret Campbell, and their youngest daughter Joan Mable (10 years old at the time); June Marie was staying with her sister Florence and her husband at the time.

- Tuesday, May 29, 1956 was one of Allan Campbell's days off from Beaucage Mines, and he and his wife Margaret had planned to go to their cottage that day.

- Joan Mable left for school that morning; her parents were still at home and Margaret was preparing a lunch to take to the cottage.

- The Campbells advised their daughter Joan Mable that they were going to the cottage and would be home no later than 6 p.m.; it was quite common for the Campbells to go to the cottage in the morning and return home around dinner time.

- When the Campbells did not return home by the morning of May 30, Joan Campbell contacted her sister Florence, who went directly to the cottage.

- Once there, they found the car parked in its regular spot and the car was unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

- The cottage was also unlocked and the beds had not been used.

- The boat, motor and gasoline can were not at the cottage at the time.

- Their daughter Florence immediately contacted the police and other family members.

- Police, the Ministry of Natural Resources and relatives and friends of the Campbells conducted an extensive search of the lake and surrounding area.

- The searches failed to reveal any clues that would assist in the investigation.

- The search was continued throughout the spring and summer of 1956 and there was extensive coverage by the media.

- In the years to follow, a number of allegations of foul play emerged, however upon investigation, the allegations were unfounded.

- Various other leads were followed up on over time, however none of them provided any progress in the investigation.

- In June 2006, new information was brought forward about the Campbells' disappearance; while the information turned out to be unfounded, the investigation was brought to light again, under the management of Detective Inspector Ken Leppert of the OPP Criminal Investigations Branch.

- On October 7, 2006, the OPP prepared a search plan to be used by the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU), and arrangements were made for the USRU to utilize Side Scanning Sonar technology to conduct the search.

- On October 20, 2006, the OPP USRU diver commenced the search plan that would eventually lead them to Rolph Island and the bay where the Campbells' cottage once existed.

- On October 20, 2006, a short distance due east of Rolph Island, the sonar detected an object on the bottom of Trout Lake in 85 feet of water, which was believed to be the boat and motor and possible human remains of Allan and Margaret Campbell.

- On the same day, a USRU diver conducted a dive at the location where the images were discovered with the side scanning sonar.

- The dive clearly revealed that the boat was green, fibreglass and that there was a 5 horsepower Elto outboard motor affixed on the transom.

- It was also determined that the indistinct image on the sonar, approximately 20 feet away from the boat, were human remains.

- On October 21, 2006, the USRU conducted a dive to obtain a video recording of the 85-foot depth underwater scene.

- Subsequent dives yielded the majority of one set of the human remains believed to be Margaret Campbell.

- On October 22, 2006, the USRU continued the recovery efforts, and the majority of the remains believed to be Allan Campbell were recovered.

- The investigation into the Campbells' disappearance has revealed convincing evidence of an unfortunate boating accident that resulted in the drowning deaths of Allan and Margaret Campbell on May 29, 1956.

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