A mother is asking for your help in finding out what happened to her adult son, who went missing in Port Alberni more than one year ago.
The family of 51-year-old Scott Bezanson has presumed he died, but his body has never been found, and they want answers.
Police, meanwhile, still consider it a missing person file.
Bezanson’s van is still parked in the same spot as when he lived in it before he went missing last December.
His mother, who lives in Campbell River, says as soon as she learned the details surrounding her son’s disappearance, she knew immediately that he was dead.
“Because I knew what he would not do if he was alive,” said Rose Doucette, Bezanson’s mother.
“For one thing, he would be in contact with me. We were very close. The other thing was that his dog was more than a best friend, and we had found he had left his dog in the van, so he was expected to come back.”
Jean Dumont had agreed to let Bezanson park and stay in his van on his Old Nanaimo Road property in Port Alberni until he could move into a cabin.
But on Dec. 3, Dumont noticed a door on the van was open, but Bezanson wasn’t inside.
“The heater was going, and the dog was on the bed there, and then I shut the door and checked again three or four times during the day, and I thought that was kind of weird because he never leaves his dog behind,” said Dumont.
Dumont notified his mother days later, who contacted Port Alberni RCMP on Dec. 8, 2022, and filed a missing person report.
Bezanson’s family and friends held a memorial service for him in Campbell River in April despite his body never being found. His mother says he was struggling with a drug addiction, but his life had taken a positive turn. He had a place to stay, had some work, and had seen a doctor about his addiction.
His mother says she suspects he met with foul play.
“It was suggested he might want to take his own life. No, he was not that type of man,” she said. “He was a strong Christian, an addict but a strong Christian.”
Police say they have conducted searches with the help of Alberni Valley Search and Rescue but did not find him. They issued a news release this week and are also looking for new leads to follow.
“I’m scared to know what his last hours were, but at the same time, I’d like to know where he is to know what could’ve happened,” said Doucette.
Bezanson is described as 5’10” and 150 pounds with short brown hair and blue eyes. His dog, Chase, still lives at the property with Dumont, waiting for Bezanson’s return.
Kendall Hanson
