The emaciated golden retriever found during the search for Jim Barnes is not the missing B.C. man’s dog, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The Fort St. John resident failed to return from a grouse hunting trip with his golden retriever back in October – and while his pickup truck was located in the Chetwynd area, there was no sign of either Barnes or his dog.
The discovery of a similar-looking dog wandering near Fort St. John last fall – approximately 120 kilometres from Barnes' pickup – briefly promised a potential lead about the missing man’s whereabouts, but DNA testing has since proven the golden retriever is not Murphy.
In early December, Barnes’s sister alleged in an online community group that loved ones were ‘certain’ the dog found with a broken paw, major swelling, puncture wounds, and covered in scabs was Murphy after ‘consulting professionals’ who knew him well. However, many community members remained skeptical, given the distance between where the dog was found and the proximity to where Barnes was last seen.
Cpl. Madonna Saunderson of the North District RCMP confirmed to CJDC-TV on December 5th that the RCMP could not say with 100 per cent certainty that the dog was Barnes’, and DNA testing was underway.
“While the family feels that it might be Murphy, the RCMP is looking into a DNA test to determine positively that it is Murphy,” said Cpl. Saunderson at the time.
The RCMP has already searched the area where the dog was located and found nothing. In a statement Wednesday, Cpl. Saunderson said the missing person investigation remains active.
“If you have any information on the whereabouts of James Barnes and Murphy, or saw them and the vehicle back in October, you are asked to call the Chetwynd RCMP,” said Saunderson.
Barnes is described as a 28-year-old caucasian man, 5′11″ tall, 201 lbs., with brown hair, brown eyes, and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a TC Energy ball cap, a green or blue hoodie, and jeans.
Murphy is an 18-month-old male golden retriever with no collar.
*With files from Andrew Weichel, CTV News Vancouver.