Earlier this week, police revealed that the remains of a third man, Lawrence Bertrim, had been discovered on a rural property north of the typically peaceful eastern Ontario town of Smiths Falls.
Mayor Shawn Pankow mentioned that the news about this discovery earlier this month probably brought mixed feelings: While there’s hope that someone missing like Bertrim, who vanished nearly four years ago, might eventually return alive, finding out about a death allows for some dignity and “some degree of closure.”
This is the latest grim find on a densely wooded, 16-hectare lot located off Kelly Jordan Road in Montague, a township adjacent to Smiths Falls, which lies about 80 kilometres southwest of Ottawa.
The town of Smiths Falls has around 9,000 residents and is just south of where the remains of the three men were found. (Justin Tang/ )
Just two weeks prior, police recovered the remains of Robert Lambert, who had been missing for an even longer time.
Nine months before that, they found Robbie Thomson’s remains; he was last seen three years ago. Three individuals have been charged with Thomson’s death while another person faces charges as an accessory to that killing.
Yet no one has been charged concerning the suspicious deaths of Bertrim and Lambert despite rewards totaling $50,000 being offered for valuable information.
While all three men’s remains were located at the same site, police are not explicitly connecting their deaths.
Authorities are also urging the public to allow police officers sufficient space and time to investigate and bring resolution to both Bertrim’s and Lambert’s families.
“We need to remember that there are families impacted by these deaths,” Sgt. Erin Cranton from Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), leading all three investigations stated on Wednesday outside their east region headquarters in Smiths Falls.
“I think it’s essential for the public to take a step back and recognize there are people grieving who need some closure right now. Just let us do our job.”
“We’re doing everything we can to get answers.”
‘Quite the graveyard’
Smiths Falls usually makes regional news for its economic ups and downs tied to Hershey’s chocolate factory and more recently a cannabis producer.
The community isn’t accustomed to jolts like those coming from developments off Kelly Jordan Road lately.
On Wednesday, Radio-Canada spoke with one local resident downtown who commented that the site seemed “quite the graveyard.”
“It’s not something we’ve really ever dealt with before,” Pankow said during his own interview while noting that Bertrim was last seen in downtown where his office is located.
Mayor Shawn Pankow stands outside town hall in Smiths Falls in 2023; he said regarding these discoveries: ‘It’s not something we’ve really ever dealt with before.’ (Justin Tang/ )
This year saw rising tensions due to Bertrim’s and Thomson’s disappearances sparking various speculations which police aimed to quiet down.
Pankow expressed how anxiety decreased after charges were laid last year against four individuals linked with Thomson’s case.
“We expect charges will follow concerning the other two cases,” he noted. “And so concerns over whether there’s another perpetrator out there or risk towards other citizens is likely subsiding.”
However, Cranton emphasized there’s still more work ahead.
“In this case, we need to figure out what connections exist between these situations and what led up to their deaths,” she mentioned.
“We understand many questions remain unanswered right now; we must ensure we conduct an extremely thorough investigation.”
OPP Sgt. Erin Cranton acknowledged how much curiosity surrounds these ongoing inquiries into finding answers regarding three men discovered at one location. (Mathieu Deroy/CBC)As families along with their community wait for answers, here’s a timeline showcasing events as they unfolded:
2004
Lambert from Montague Township bought land off Kelly Jordan Road based on property records obtained by CBC last year when he was 75 years old; he went missing during summer 2018.Robert Lambert was 75 when he went missing in 2018; this photo was shared by OPP at that time.(Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)Long before then Lambert relocated from America into Smiths Falls area intending on joining his future wife Kathryn Lambert.
Kathryn’s son described Robert as loving husband saying her passing back in 2016 left him struggling considerably afterward.
2018
Around April: Christopher Fenton -one amongst four suspects charged relatedto Thomson- becomes co-owner alongside Lampert concerningthe Kelly Jordan Roadproperty.Lambert solely owned this house situatedon Kelly Jordan Roaduntil April2018when Christopher Fenton-oneofthesuspectsnowaccusedofkilling Lambert-joined asco-owner.(Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)Lambertdisappears shortly afterhis ownership change.
Around July-during themonth Lambertvanishedasreportedby OPP-itwasclaimedhehadreturned homeinto U. S.; howeverthererecordsofnothavingcrossed borderaccordingto O. P. P.(e. g., October)-Four months afterwardpolice publicly announcedhimmissing whileby January2019concernroseconsiderablyaboutwhatmayhave happenedtohim.
2022<par September30:<Ber trimfrom Smithsfallsissightedlasttimeat42years old being reportedmismissingaround Octobertwo. Duringthis period"i knowthatpeoplearehearingthingsandhaveinformation"saidhermother Linda Younginvideoreleasedby O. P. Phelpingherfamily gainclosure".</par Lawrence Ber trim became secondoutofthreeindividualstohavegonemissingbuthis bodywasdiscoveredlast.(O. P. P. handout)
<h23 February: OPPinitiatesinvestigating Lawrencesdisappearanceunderleadershipfrom Smith Falls Police Service. October12-18: Thomson-knownforfrequentingboth Smith Falls&Prescott-disappears becomingonlyawareoftheissueon October19.
Thomsonandber trimsharedanacquaintanceas CBClaterrevealed. Theyoungestamongthethree, males-Thomsonaged34-wentmissingin2023.
Robbie Thomsonwhosebodywasfoundin Octoberwentmissingduringtheyear2023(O. P. P. handout).
Hisfamilydescribedhimasgentlegiantwhoalwaysstoodupfor Junior B hockeyteammateswhilewillinglylendinghelpathome.”Normallyhe’dbeincontactwitheithermeor mydadeverythree days. Withinfivedaystherewasnothing,” his sister Tabatha Thomson remarkedconcerninghisdisappearance.
November3: Steven Tate-a34-year-oldmanfrom Montague Townshipisreportedmissingafterbeinglastseenontodayitself. Itbelievedthosewhodidknow Tatehadacquaintancewithboth Thomsonand Ber trimintendedly
Thebodyof Steve Tatewaslocatedadjacentto Highway15crossthroughsmithsfallswhichoccurredearlierinthemonth(November).(O. P.)<par November8: Tate’sremainswerefoundinditchalong Highway15cuttingthrough Smith Falls. Lateronthemonth, O. P. saidtheybelieved Tate fell victimtohit-and-run. Onthatdayseparate appealregardinginformationonthedisappearancesnotedpreviouslycamebackagainalthoughatthattimepolicedidn’tlinkthemsetcasesonthematterfurthermorethereasoningforthingsalongthese lines currently holds true until facts clarify matters surrounding anyassumptions about relations involved stated Cranton Wednesday.
WATCH | Peoplein Smi thfallsdealwithfindingofthewitnesseswithinrecent string involving disappearancesthreemenoverpastyearincludingonewhosebodyarrivedrecently confirmed withinweek::
Stringofdisappearancesin Smith Falls Ont. hasleft someresidentsfeeling’unnerved’</bt `Source link`
