Disappearance of Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien

Last updated
Disappearance of Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien
DateNovember 9, 1996
Duration Missing for 28 years, 2 months and 18 days
Location Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Type Disappearance, Child abduction
MissingAdam Matthew O'Brien
(Born Oct. 28, 1982)
Trevor Anthony Thomas O'Brien
(Born May 8, 1985)
Mitchell Gary Marcus O'Brien
(Born Nov. 29, 1991)
SuspectsGary Joseph O'Brien
(Born Oct. 17, 1956)

Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien are missing brothers from Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada who were allegedly abducted by their father Gary O'Brien on November 9, 1996. Their suspected kidnapping made both national and international headlines. [1] Gary O'Brien is wanted by Interpol for their abduction. [2] Although various tips have come in from both Canada and the United States and a $50,000 reward has been offered, police have never been able to locate the O'Brien brothers or their father. [2] [3]

Contents

Disappearance

On November 9, 1996, Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien (aged 14, 11, and 4) [1] went to visit their father and non-custodial parent, Gary O'Brien, at his home in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. [4] At 8:30pm that night, Gary called Diana Boland, his ex-wife and the boys' mother and custodial parent, and told her that he was not going to return the boys to her and had rigged his house so that it would explode if anyone entered it. [4] When Boland asked to speak to the boys, Gary told her "later" and hung up. [5] Boland's sister, who was with Boland at the time, immediately called the police. [2]

Investigation

When police first arrived at the house, they discovered that O'Brien had set up a makeshift bomb using two 400-pound (180 kg) propane tanks that would have exploded and destroyed both his home and the surrounding houses if anyone had tried to get inside. [2] Boland believes that this was done in order to create a diversion. [3] O'Brien has a history of violence, suicidal tendencies, and psychiatric problems, [4] and is described by Boland as "introverted" and "resourceful". [6]

In October 1997, almost a year after the disappearance, an engine assembly for a 1989 Ford Tempo, which may have been from O'Brien's vehicle, was discovered in the ocean near Flatrock, [7] approximately ten kilometres from where the boys disappeared. No bodies were recovered from that location. [2] Boland suspects that O'Brien dumped the engine of his car over the cliffs and into the ocean in order to deliberately mislead police. [3] The following year, police in Thunder Bay received an anonymous tip from a woman who stated that she'd recognized pictures of the brothers. The woman said that she'd babysat for them, and knew the nicknames of one of the boys. Police attempted to locate the woman until 1999, but were unsuccessful. [8]

Although O'Brien's sister suspects that her brother and her nephews are dead, [9] Boland firmly believes that her sons are still alive, stating that O'Brien may have taken them to a religious commune and reared them in an environment with no access to technology or the outside world. [10] She believes that being cut off from the outside world may have allowed O'Brien to brainwash Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell, which could be why they have never tried to contact her. [6]

In order to aid the search for the O'Brien brothers, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has created multiple age-progressed photos of the boys over the past two decades, with the most recent ones having been released in early 2017. [2] As of 2024, their case remains open. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Critch</span> Canadian comedian, actor, and writer (born 1974)

Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on the comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes, initially as a writer and then as a regular cast member beginning in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Newfoundland Constabulary</span> Canadian police service

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is the provincial police service for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Russell</span> Canadian politician

Todd Norman Dwayne Russell is a Canadian politician and was the Liberal member of Parliament for the riding of Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador from 2005 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation of Christian Brothers</span> Religious community within the Catholic Church

The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Rice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Furey</span> Canadian lawyer and politician

George J. Furey is a Canadian politician who served as the speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2015 to 2023. Furey was appointed as a senator from Newfoundland and Labrador in 1999 and was the longest-serving member of the Senate at the time of his retirement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law enforcement in Canada</span>

Law enforcement in Canada is the responsibility of police services, special constabularies, and civil law enforcement agencies, which are operated by every level of government, some private and Crown corporations, and First Nations. In contrast to the United States or Mexico, and with the exception of the Unité permanente anticorruption in Quebec and the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia, there are no organizations dedicated exclusively to the investigation of criminal activity in Canada. Criminal investigations are instead conducted by police services, which maintain specialized criminal investigation units in addition to their mandate for emergency response and general community safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Coast Trail</span> Long-distance footpath in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The East Coast Trail (ECT) is a long-distance coastal footpath located in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is a developed trail over 336 kilometres (209 mi) long, the creation of which began in 1994. It is made up of 25 linked wilderness paths and passes through more than 30 communities. It was named one of the best adventure destinations by National Geographic in 2012 and is extended and improved yearly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador</span> Function of the Canadian monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador

By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, the Canadian monarchy operates in Newfoundland and Labrador as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Newfoundland and Labrador's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, His Majesty in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the King in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in the province specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.

The sexual abuse scandal in the Congregation of Christian Brothers is a major chapter in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in various Western jurisdictions.

Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Canada are well documented dating back to the 1960s. The preponderance of criminal cases with Canadian Catholic dioceses named as defendants that have surfaced since the 1980s strongly indicate that these cases were far more widespread than previously believed. While recent media reports have centred on Newfoundland dioceses, there have been reported cases—tested in court with criminal convictions—in almost all Canadian provinces. Sexual assault is the act of an individual touching another individual sexually and/or committing sexual activities forcefully and/or without the other person's consent. The phrase Catholic sexual abuse cases refers to acts of sexual abuse, typically child sexual abuse, by members of authority in the Catholic church, such as priests. Such cases have been occurring sporadically since the 11th century in Catholic churches around the world. This article summarizes some of the most notable Catholic sexual abuse cases in Canadian provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Cashel Orphanage</span> Boys orphanage in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for a sexual abuse scandal and cover-up by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and NL justice officials.

Several cases of sexual abuse in St. John's archdiocese have been reported, starting in 1988. It is an important chapter in the series of clerical abuse affairs that occurred in the dioceses of Canada.

<i>Republic of Doyle</i> Television series

Republic of Doyle is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014.

The murders of Nathan O'Brien, Kathryn Liknes and Alvin Liknes occurred on June 29, 2014. Five-year-old Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents, Kathryn and Alvin Liknes, disappeared from the Liknes' Calgary, Alberta home after what police called a "violent incident." An amber alert was issued for Nathan. The alert was lifted on July 14, 2014, after the arrest of a person in relation to the disappearance. On July 14, 2014, police stated that they believed O'Brien and the Likneses were murdered, although no bodies were recovered. Douglas Garland was charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of the Likneses and a second-degree murder for killing O'Brien. The second degree charge for Nathan O'Brien was upgraded by the court to first degree in May 2015. The initial disappearance led to a large outcry of support from the local community, with the disappearance prompting the longest amber alert in Canadian history as well as one of the most intensive ground searches in Calgary's history. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Calgary Police Service, RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency, and Crime Stoppers.

Events from the year 2017 in Canada.

Dana Nicole Bradley was a 14-year-old girl who disappeared in St. John's, Newfoundland on 14 December 1981. Last seen hitchhiking on Topsail Road in St. John's, her body was discovered four days later in a wooded area south of the city. An intense and highly publicized investigation followed, and in 1986 a man confessed to her murder, but later recanted. As of 2024, the homicide case remains open and unsolved.

Sarah Boland is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently skips her own team out of the RE/MAX Centre in St. John's. She is a two-time Newfoundland and Labrador junior champion.

Her Majesty's Penitentiary (HMP), located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada is the primary facility for housing medium and maximum security male prisoners in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary sexual abuse scandal occurred in 2014 and concerned allegations of assault by Constable Doug Snelgrove.

References

  1. 1 2 "Missing Persons | Royal Newfoundland Constabulary". www.rnc.gov.nl.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Russell, Andrew. "20 years later, Diana Saunders still searches for her 3 missing sons". Global News. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  3. 1 2 3 "'I will always be looking for my sons'". The Telegram. Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  4. 1 2 3 "Case File of Adam, Mitchell, and Trevor O'Brien". www.forthelost.org. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  5. ↑ Press, Jordan (2011-05-23). "Website helps Canadian families track missing children". Canada.com. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  6. 1 2 "20 years on, Diana Boland hopes to be reunited with her missing sons". The Western Star. Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  7. ↑ "20 years on, Diana Boland hopes to be reunited with her missing sons". The Telegram. Archived from the original on 2017-02-05. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  8. ↑ "Police Trying to Refresh O'Brien Lead". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  9. ↑ "Gary O'Brien's sister not hopeful". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  10. ↑ "Missing boys still alive, mother believes". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  11. ↑ "Disappearance of Adam, Trevor, and Mitchell O'Brien".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.