August 1, 1989. Prince George, British Columbia. After meeting an unidentified bearded man at a local pub, 26-year old Ronnie Jack is supposedly offered a temporary job at a remote logging camp located about 40 kilometres away. Later that night, Ronnie, his 26-year old spouse Doreen Jack, and their two children – nine-year old Russell and four-year old Ryan – are seen climbing into this man’s pick-up truck, but after they drive away, the family is never heard from again. Over the years, investigators explore some leads, including an anonymous phone tip about the victims’ remains being buried on a ranch, but no trace of the Jack family is ever found. To commemorate Canada Day, this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold” explores the unsolved disappearance of an Indigenous family, which is considered to be one of the most baffling mysteries in the history of the country.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Prince George detachment of the RCMP at (250) 561-3300 or Northern B.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Additional Reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_family_disappearance
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/mystery-remains-around-disappearance-of-jack-family-3737801
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/missing-jack-family-age-progressed-photos-1.5702888
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/tragic-and-haunting-memory-bc-family-has-been-missing-for-30-years/
https://globalnews.ca/news/2326515/old-wounds-open-as-missing-women-inquiry-looms/
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/deleted-emails-on-b-c-s-highway-of-tears-reopen-old-wounds/article_832715e1-e3d5-5c0b-ac3d-0f71fc336a76.html
https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/20170926_MMIWG_Smithers_M._Jack_Statement_Vol_9_Public-15.pdf
https://www.newspapers.com/image/502873677/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/503323920/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/905432716/
http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1989-09-07/-/Prince%20George%20Citizen%20-%20September%2007,%201989
http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgc:1995-04-18/-/Prince%20George%20Citizen%20-%20April%2018,%201995
http://pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca/fedora/repository/pgfp:1999-08-29-05
https://www.newspapers.com/image/324125839/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/899196080/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/899191299/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/904801053/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/904785136/
“The Trail Went Cold” will be appearing at AdvocacyCon, which is taking place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 11-13, 2026. To get a 10 % discount on tickets, please use our specialized promo code, “TRAILCOLD10”, by visiting https://www.advocacycon.com/.
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.
