Jack family disappearance
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UnclaimedThe unresolved 1989 disappearance of the Ronald and Doreen Jack family from Prince George, British Columbia.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Jack family disappearance concerns Ronald Jack, his wife Doreen, and their two sons, Russell and Ryan, who vanished from Prince George, British Columbia, on August 2, 1989. Ronald and Doreen were both 26. Their sons were Russell, aged nine, and Ryan, aged four. The family belonged to the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, an Indigenous First Nation whose traditional community is near Burns Lake, British Columbia. The family had moved to Prince George roughly a year before the disappearance after Ronald injured his back and lost his sawmill job. He was unemployed and the household was receiving welfare. According to accounts summarized in published reporting and reference material, the family was under severe financial pressure. On the night of August 1, Ronald went to the First Litre pub near the family's rented home on Strathcona Avenue. There he reportedly met an unidentified man who offered employment at a logging camp near Cluculz Lake, west of Prince George. The proposed arrangement allegedly included logging work for Ronald, cooking work for Doreen, and childcare for the boys. Because the family had no vehicle, the unidentified man offered to drive them to the purported camp in a four-wheel-drive pickup truck. Ronald left the pub with the man at approximately 11:16 p.m. and returned to the family's residence. During the early hours of August 2, Ronald made telephone calls to relatives in Burns Lake about arranging care for his sons while the couple worked. He also spoke with his mother, Mabel Jack, and reportedly told her to look for him if he did not return. Relatives later saw Ronald, Doreen, and the children loading belongings into the pickup truck. None of the four has been reliably seen since. The family was not reported missing until later in August, after Ronald failed to contact his mother. Investigators found that much of the family's furniture and clothing remained at the residence, along with the children's school records. A police announcement on September 7, 1989, incorrectly stated that the family had been found, and the case was briefly closed before the error was recognized. The investigation subsequently received publicity through a televised CrimeStoppers reenactment and fundraising efforts intended to increase the reward and public awareness. In January 1996, an anonymous caller told the RCMP that the Jack family was buried at the south end of an unspecified ranch. The call was traced to a house in Stoney Creek near Vanderhoof, where a party was taking place. Police were unable to identify or locate every person who had been present. The caller never provided further information. The RCMP renewed its appeal for the caller to come forward in 2018. In August 2019, investigators used ground-penetrating radar during searches on property associated with the Saik'uz First Nation south of Vanderhoof, but reported finding no evidence connected to the family. The case remains unresolved. It is frequently discussed alongside other disappearances and unsolved crimes involving Indigenous people along or near British Columbia Highway 16, commonly known as the Highway of Tears. The RCMP was reported to have maintained an open case file as of August 2020. No confirmed location of the family, definitive account of what happened, or publicly established suspect has been identified in the supplied reference material.
History
Ronald and Doreen Jack were members of the Cheslatta Carrier Nation. Both were born in 1963, and they formed a family that included Ronald's stepson Russell and their younger son Ryan. Accounts about Doreen's early life describe serious childhood hardship, including time at the Lejac Residential School near Fraser Lake. After the school closed in 1976, she attended a Catholic residential high school. She and Ronald later resumed their relationship and lived with Ronald's parents in Southbank. Russell was born in 1980 and Ryan in 1985. By the late 1980s, the family's circumstances had worsened. Ronald injured his back and lost his sawmill employment, leaving the household dependent on welfare. The family moved to Prince George in search of work, but Ronald remained unemployed. Relatives described him as eager and increasingly desperate to find employment. The supplied reference material also describes domestic conflict, Doreen's heavy drinking, poverty, and debt. These accounts provide context for the family's vulnerability but do not establish a motive or explain what happened after they left Prince George. On August 1, 1989, Ronald visited the First Litre pub, approximately four blocks from the family's rented home at 2116 Strathcona Avenue. An unidentified man allegedly approached him with an offer of work at a logging camp in the Cluculz Lake area, approximately 40 kilometres west of Prince George along Highway 16. The offer reportedly included a logging position for Ronald, camp-cook work for Doreen, and daycare for the children. The man was described as white, in his late thirties, between six and six feet six inches tall, and weighing approximately 200 to 275 pounds. He reportedly had reddish-brown hair and a full beard and wore a baseball cap, red checked work shirt, faded blue jeans, blue nylon jacket, and work boots with leather fringes over the toes. The man offered to drive the family because they did not own a car. Ronald left the pub with him at about 11:16 p.m. and returned to the Strathcona Avenue residence. In the early morning, Ronald tried to arrange for his sons to stay with relatives in Burns Lake while he and Doreen worked. He also spoke to his mother, Mabel, and reportedly told her to look for him if he failed to come back. Two of Doreen's relatives later saw the family packing possessions into the pickup. This was the last known sighting of all four family members. After Ronald failed to make contact for several weeks, his mother reported the family missing in late August. Police examined the residence and found that substantial household property, clothing, and the boys' school records had been left behind. Relatives later expressed concern that the initial response lacked adequate institutional support, which they associated with the family's Indigenous identity. On September 7, the Prince George RCMP incorrectly stated that the family had been found, causing the case to be closed temporarily. The mistake was later corrected. Public efforts continued. A CrimeStoppers reenactment was broadcast on CKPG-TV in 1990. In 1992, Mabel Jack and the Prince George Native Friendship Centre were reported to be fundraising for publicity and reward purposes, while CrimeStoppers offered a reward of up to C$2,000 for information or an arrest leading to the family's whereabouts. A potentially significant lead emerged on January 28, 1996. An anonymous caller contacted the Vanderhoof RCMP and said that the family was buried at the south end of a ranch, without naming the ranch or explaining the source of the information. The call was traced to a residence in nearby Stoney Creek where a party was in progress. Police could not account for all of the six to nine people believed to have been present. The caller did not call again despite public appeals, including a renewed RCMP appeal in 2018. In August 2019, police used ground-penetrating radar to search property on or near the Saik'uz First Nation south of Vanderhoof. The search produced no evidence connected to the family. The case continued to be described as open as of August 2020. It is commonly linked in public discussions to the Highway of Tears, a section of Highway 16 associated with numerous unresolved disappearances and killings of Indigenous people. The supplied sources do not establish whether the Jack family's case is legally connected to any other investigation. Their whereabouts and fate remain unknown.
- 2019
Radar search
[1]Ground-penetrating radar searches on property associated with the Saik'uz First Nation found no evidence related to the family.
- 2018
Renewed appeal for caller
[1]The RCMP renewed its appeal for the anonymous 1996 caller to provide further information.
- 1996
Anonymous burial claim
[1]An unidentified caller told the Vanderhoof RCMP that the family was buried at the south end of an unspecified ranch.
- 1992
Reward and publicity fundraising
[1]Mabel Jack and the Prince George Native Friendship Centre reportedly raised funds to support publicity and increase the reward.
- 1990
Televised reenactment
[1]CrimeStoppers produced a televised reenactment to seek information about the disappearance.
- 1989
Family disappears
[1]On August 2, Ronald, Doreen, Russell, and Ryan were last seen leaving their Prince George residence in an unidentified man's pickup truck.
- 1989
Erroneous police closure
[1]The Prince George RCMP incorrectly announced on September 7 that the family had been found, and the case was briefly closed.
- 1988
Family moves to Prince George
[1]After Ronald lost his sawmill job following a back injury, the family moved to Prince George in search of employment.
- 1985
Birth of Ryan Jack
[1]Ryan, Ronald and Doreen Jack's younger son, was born on July 26, 1985.
- 1980
Birth of Russell Jack
[1]Doreen Jack gave birth to Russell, her first son, on February 28, 1980.
Marketing campaigns
- 1992Reward and awareness fundraising
Prince George · British Columbia
Mabel Jack and the Prince George Native Friendship Centre reportedly sought donations to increase the reward and draw attention to the case. CrimeStoppers was offering up to C$2,000 for qualifying information.
Outcome. No confirmed resolution is identified in the supplied material.
- 1990CrimeStoppers televised reenactment
Prince George · British Columbia
CrimeStoppers produced and broadcast a reenactment of the family's disappearance through CKPG-TV in an effort to generate leads.
Outcome. The supplied reference does not identify a confirmed lead resulting from the broadcast.
Brand decisions
2019
Ground-penetrating radar searchOtherBackground
The 1996 burial claim remained unresolved, and investigators searched property south of Vanderhoof associated with the Saik'uz First Nation.
Action taken
Police conducted a ground-penetrating radar search for possible evidence.
Aftermath
No evidence concerning the Jack family was located, and the disappearance remained unresolved.
1996
Investigation of anonymous burial callOtherBackground
An anonymous caller claimed that the family had been buried at the south end of a ranch but did not identify the location or call back.
Action taken
The RCMP traced the call to a Stoney Creek residence, investigated people attending a party there, released an audiotape, and appealed for the caller to provide more information.
Aftermath
The caller was not identified in the supplied material, and the claim did not lead to a confirmed discovery.
Sources1 sources
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