Search continues for missing Timmins man who served prison time for killing woman

'We will not speculate as to whether or not this is an instance of misadventure or self-harm, but there is no threat to public safety — people can use area trail systems without having to fear for their safety,' police say

Timmins Police is looking to confirm the whereabouts and well-being of 36-year-old Ryan Armstrong.Supplied image

The search for a missing man in Timmins is ongoing.

Late yesterday afternoon (June 6), Timmins Police's emergency response team (ERT) and OPP canine unit searched a wooded area at the end of Mountjoy Street South to try and locate 36-year-old Ryan Armstrong. Police are still trying to determine his whereabouts and confirm his well-being.

"The search was necessary but, despite our efforts, it did not yield anything of investigative significance," said Marc Depatie, Timmins Police corporate communications co-ordinator.

"We will not speculate as to whether or not this is an instance of misadventure or self-harm, but there is no threat to public safety — people can use area trail systems without having to fear for their safety."

Police did not release information about Armstrong's background, but TimminsToday, a sister site of SooToday, confirmed that the missing man pleaded guilty in a British Columbia courtroom to manslaughter and improperly or indecently offering an indignity to human remains in connection with the 2016 killing of Vikki Heppner.

SEE: Former Timmins man pleads guilty to manslaughter: report

Armstrong was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 2017, but with time served in pre-trial custody — which is 1.5 days for every day — his sentence included a credit of three years and 356 days.

In most cases under Canadian law, federal offenders are also granted statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence, allowing them to serve the remainder of their sentence in the community under some form of supervision.

It is not clear when Armstrong was released from prison or when he returned to the Timmins area.

Armstrong is described as: