RCMP are opening up a homicide investigation after confirming the human remains found near Ucluelet belong to a Squamish man and his friend.
Police said in a news release that the remains belong to local resident Daniel Archbald and Ryan Daley.
"Identifying Mr. Daley and Mr. Archbald is a significant step in this investigation,” said Inspector Dave Hall, officer in charge of the task force investigating the incident.
“We can now focus our attention on answering the who, what, when, where and why, in an effort to determine who is responsible for their deaths."
Officers are saying there is no evidence at this time to suggest the Archbald-Daley homicide investigation is related to disappearance of Ben Kilmer, another person who went missing on Vancouver Island.
Hall is also cautioning against the widespread speculation that is happening on social media, as it’s interfering with police investigations.
“Widespread use of social media and the internet as sources of information risks drawing linkages that do not exist, or spreading false information that becomes increasingly difficult for police to untangle in their investigation,” the release states.
Surveillance footage shows that Archbald and Daley were last seen travelling on foot with their possessions as they left Ucluelet Harbour on May 16 around 1:34 p.m.
Their disappearance sparked search and rescue efforts. Aerial teams also surveyed the ground from above.
On June 6, officers announced the disappearance was suspicious and handed the case to the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.
