The Squamish RCMP announced on May 21 that the investigation into McLean’s disappearance had escalated into a homicide case after they “uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr. McLean was a victim of homicide” during their “investigative efforts.”
“On May 20, IHIT [Integrated Homicide Investigation Team] deployed and assumed conduct of the investigation. Squamish RCMP continues to work closely with IHIT and the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) to advance the investigation,” the statement continued.
Following the development, several neighbors of McLean spoke out about him and the growing inquiry surrounding the case.
Per CBC, Russ Meiklejohn said they could not imagine anyone wanting to hurt McLean. His wife, Dorothy, shared McLean would always greet her with a big hug whenever they saw each other.
“That’s just so hard to think that he’s, like, gone. Because he was part of this network, this community, as tiny as it is, he was a big part of it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Lucas Talent Inc., a talent agency that claimed to represent the Arrow actor, shared the case on Facebook, writing, “We’re concerned about our dear client Stew McLean – Please see below and share.”