Nanaimo RCMP ask 'entire country' for help in finding person of interest in death of teenager Makayla Chang
Steven Michael Bacon, 59, was not previously considered by police as a suspect in murder investigation
Nanaimo RCMP are seeking help Canada-wide to find Steven Michael Bacon, a person of interest in the investigation of 16-year-old Makayla Chang's murder.
Chang was reported missing in March 2017 and her body was found two months later following an exhaustive search.
Upon the discovery of the body, police announced the case would be considered a homicide investigation.
Police previously interviewed 59-year-old Steven Bacon, who they said was not considered a suspect but may have been with Chang before her death.
"The last time we spoke with Mr. Bacon was in May of 2017. That was in Sudbury, Ont. He wasn't arrested. He was free to go," said RCMP Const. Gary O'Brien.
Now, police say they once again would like to speak to Bacon about Chang's death and are asking for the public's help locating him.
Investigators believe he has information relating to the ongoing murder investigation.
"At this point, we have exhausted all avenues of investigation and have been unable to locate Mr. Bacon," said Sgt. Rob Graves who leads the Nanaimo Serious Crimes Unit.
"While we cannot rule out that he is in Nanaimo or remains on Vancouver Island, we have been unable to locate him and are now asking the entire country to help us, as we believe he has important information."
Friends and family have expressed concern about how little information is known about Chang's death.
"It's almost as if she just walked down the sidewalk and [poof]. What happened?" said Mary Nespit, Chang's great aunt.
Police describe Bacon as:
- Caucasian.
- 200 pounds.
- 5 feet 10 inches tall.
- Grey hair and/or facial hair.
- Tear drop tattoo under left eye.
- Bugs Bunny tattoo on upper right arm.
- Unidentified tattoo on back of right hand.
Bacon may be using alternative names such as Michael Dufour, Michael Vinent Defoure, Steven Michael/Mike Vincent, or Mike Jannis and is known to frequent public transit.
Anyone with information on Bacon's whereabouts is asked to contact your local police or Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. Those wishing to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.