Shirley Conrad (L) and June Campbell (R) listen to the announcement by OPP that the human remains found in Trout lake in October were those of their parents; Margaret and Allan Campbell.
Shirley Conrad (L) and June Campbell (R) listen to the announcement by OPP that the human remains found in Trout lake in October were those of their parents; Margaret and Allan Campbell.The 50-year-old mystery of Margaret and Allan Campbell was officially solved Monday afternoon.
OPP held a press conference at their communications centre off Gormanville Road to announce DNA testing has identified the human remains found at the bottom of Trout Lake on Oct. 20, 2006 as Margaret and Allan Campbell.
The couple went missing May 29, 1956, while on a trip to their cottage on the Southeast side of Trout Lake. They told their 10-year-old daughter they would be home by 6 pm, but never returned.
Now, their daughters, Shirley Conrad and June Campbell, say the positive identification helps bring closure to the case which spanned a half century.
“I’m sure it will sit in the back of our heads for the rest of our lives because it has been there for so long,” Conrad said.
“It’s not something that’s going to leave quickly.”
The remains were found approximately 15feet from their boat, which was under 85 feet of water.
“The fellow that drives the police boat took us out there with roses,” Conrad said.
“It’s quite a ways out, but not far from the cottage. We probably went over them 100 times when they disappeared, and didn’t know they were under there.”
Over the years, the OPP and the Campbell family received letters and phone calls suggesting foul play was responsible for the deaths of the couple.
“The OPP’s investigation has revealed that there is no evidence of foul play,” Detective Inspector Ken Leppert said.
“All evidence supports the belief that this boating incident resulted in the accidental drowning of Allan and Margaret Campbell on May 29, 1956.”
Conrad explained that the notes and phone calls led her to believe foul play may have been a factor.
“There was never any evidence found, just the boat and motor were gone,” she said.
“And like one detective said; ‘that could have been gone when they got to the cottage.’”
In October, the OPP used Side Scanning Sonar technology to locate the boat and the remains. After the Sonar detected objects at the bottom of the lake, the Underwater Search and Rescue Unit went into the water to investigate.
“When I was able to actually go down and inspect the boat, I was able to clearly identify a pair of shoes, another pair of shoes, and a belt,” Constable Steve Salmon said.
Salmon explained they found most of the skeletal structures of both Margaret and Allan Campbell off the bow of their boat.
“They were still together.”
OPP Backgrounder
