Neil James McDougall, 40, was last seen in Ayton, Ontario, in the early hours of October 12, 1985. That night he had been at the Commercial Hotel and was seen leaving a residence on Edmund Street at about 2:00 a.m. Two days later his family reported him missing and his 1979 GMC pickup was found on an empty lot nearby. The truck’s ashtray contained multiple cigarette butts even though Neil was a non-smoker and was known to be meticulous about his vehicles.

Searches turned up no trace, his bank accounts and credit cards were not used, and police came to suspect foul play. He was legally declared dead in 1996 and the investigation has been periodically renewed, including a 2007 reopening when police said an event after bar-closing time attended by many people was central. A $50,000 provincial reward was offered in 2016.

Neil was described as a hardworking man, newly married and in the process of adopting his wife’s children. Does anyone who was in Ayton that night or who knew Neil have information that could help close this case?