Missing in B.C.: Discovery of dog could be a clue in man’s disappearance

When paramedic Jim Barnes left his home in Fort St. John to go hunting on Oct. 18, he asked his partner Micaela Sawyer — who’s also a paramedic — if she wanted to join him.

She declined, so Barnes took the couple’s dog Murphy, an 18-month-old red golden retriever with him.

When Barnes and Murphy didn’t return home, Sawyer reported them missing. Barnes’ truck was found on a forest service road near the town of Chetwynd the next day. An extensive search of the area turned up no sign of the man or his dog.

Last week, someone posted a photo of an injured, emaciated red golden retriever they had found wandering 120 kilometres from where Barnes’ truck was found. Sawyer raced over to see the animal.

“I was like, wow, this really looks like my dog. But at the same time, this dog was battered, bruised, broken, swollen, like beyond belief – so swollen. So that was really hard,” said Sawyer, adding “Anyone who owns a red golden retriever will know, like 98 per cent of them, they all look the same.”

Murphy wasn’t tattooed or microchipped, and neither was the dog that was found. But after spending some time with him, Sawyer is now convinced it’s Murphy.

“It was a combination of a lot of things, and lot of cross-referencing of pictures and then certain behavioural things Murphy exhibits that are so specific to him,” said Sawyer.

But police searching for Jim Barnes want proof it’s his dog.

In a statement, Northern District RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Madonna Saunderson said: “At this time we cannot with 100% certainty say this is in fact Murphy. While the family feels it might be Murphy, the RCMP are looking into a DNA test to determine positively that it is Murphy.”

“I’m not opposed to it,” said Sawyer of the DNA test. “If it’s an avenue that’s attainable, I’ll do it.”

The discovery of the dog prompted police to search the area where the red golden retriever was found, but there was no sign of Jim Barnes. Sawyer hopes they keep looking.

“Any clue is a clue worth investigating,” she said.

While she waits for answers about her partner of eight years, she’s caring for an injured, traumatized dog.

“There’s a lot that we’re going to have to work through, and he is going to need a lot of help. But I mean, that’s okay,” said Sawyer. “He went through a hell of a time.”