Sault Police take on case of local man, missing since early July

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is now officially in charge of an investigation into the whereabouts of Sault man Ken Catling Jr., missing since early July.

He was reported missing by his daughter in Barrie (whom he was normally in regular phone contact with), police in that community alerting police agencies in Sault Ste. Marie to the situation.

“The Sault Ste. Marie OPP has been working actively with Barrie Police on this case. We had some discussions this morning and it was determined his last known address was in Sault Ste. Marie, so as of this morning (Thursday, August 6) we are now taking over the case to locate Mr. Catling. It is now our case,” said Lincoln Louttit, Sault Police spokesperson, speaking to SooToday.

Catling had been camping at Carpenter Lake, 39 kilometres northeast of Echo Bay, 69 kilometres from Sault Ste. Marie, during the evening of Sunday, July 5, his brother Rob Catling told us.

It is believed he departed from that area in the early morning hours of Monday, July 6.

A bag belonging to Catling was discovered by a man, acquainted with the Catling family, on a rural Algoma District road and given to Dave Catling, one of Catling’s brothers.

“More information will be released as it becomes available,” Louttit said.  

The last contact with Ken Catling Jr., brother Rob Catling said, involved a voicemail in the morning hours of Tuesday, July 7, in which he informed his father, a Sault resident, he was at the New Brunswick border, had been turned back by authorities due to concerns over spread of COVID-19 in that province and was returning to his home base in Sault Ste. Marie.

Rob Catling said authorities had detected “some cell phone use” connected to the missing man a week ago, but location details were unavailable.

Ken Catling Jr. drives a white Ford Edge SUV, Ontario licence plate CBHA 792, Rob said.

In a release, police described Ken Catling Jr. as 5-feet-11, weighing approximately 165 pounds with short brown hair. Police also said he could be "slightly thinner"

Photos of Ken Catling Jr. are available on the CANADA MISSING & UNSOLVED Facebook page.

“It’s been a nightmare,” Catling’s brother Dave told us.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Detective Constable Melanie Roach at (705) 949-6300, ext. 262.