BY KEITH LACEY
As far as she knows, a Dowling man reported missing almost two weeks ago didn’t have an enemy in the world, a friend says.
Laura-Lyn Gamelin says she and her common law husband Todd Spicer can’t believe Jeffrey Malcolm Mason, 37, seems to have disappeared without a trace since Greater Sudbury Police found his home and car burned as a result of arson Thursday, Nov. 16.
Police have confirmed Mason withdrew money from his bank account Wednesday, Nov. 15, but he hasn’t been heard from since.
“We’re just dumbfounded,” said Gamelin. “It’s not in his makeup to just disappear like this. It’s not like him to have any enemies because I honestly don’t know of anyone who disliked Jeff because he was so easy-going.”
Her husband and Mason, 37, have been friends since childhood.
“He’s a very good friend who was always willing to lend a helping hand...we just don’t know what could have happened to him,” she said.
Gamelin said Mason was devastated with his father’s death a year ago, and she thinks this was one of the reasons he took a leave of absence from his job as a welder.
“He’s always been a great guy, but he hasn’t been the same since his father died about a year ago,” she said. “That really hit him hard.”
Mason has spent much of his time during the weeks before he disappeared helping his mother sell property the family owned and some farming equipment, said Gamelin.
It’s only natural to believe the worst might have happened considering Mason’s been missing for two weeks, but Gamelin said she and her husband believe he’s still alive and well.
“He was obviously having a tough time with his father’s death...and he left his job, so something was obviously wrong. I just hope he didn’t have some sort of breakdown and is alone wandering around,” she said. “We’re worried sick about him and hopefully he’s going to be found all right.”
Mason lived in Calgary for several years before returning to the Sudbury area to be with his ailing father. Gamelin said Mason often talked about returning to that city, but stayed with his widowed mother. She recently sold him the house which was found burned to the ground two weeks ago.
Sgt. Terry Rumford, lead investigator for Greater Sudbury Police, says police have received numerous tips since Mason was reported missing.
Police did not find any signs of foul play inside Mason’s home or car. This is still considered a missing person’s case, said Rumford.
Local police have passed on information across Ontario, the rest of Canada and some parts of the United States.
Mason is described as six-feet tall, 165 pounds, with blue eyes and brown, collar-length hair.
Anyone with information about Mason is asked to contact police at 675-9171.
