Stewart McLean, the “Virgin River” actor who went missing last week, has been confirmed as dead, a day after it was shared that his case had become a homicide investigation. He was 45 years old.
Canada’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team shared on Friday that the remains were located in the Lions Bay area, assuring in a press release obtained by People that homicide investigators were “working to collect and analyze evidence, review CCTV footage and conduct interviews to build a timeline of Mr. McLean’s activities prior to May 15, 2026.”
IHIT Cpl. Esther Tupper said that they “are pursuing all available leads as we work to find answers for the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. McLean.”
Additionally, the investigator’s update noted that they, along with their partners, had been on the case “from the onset of the missing persons investigation,” noting that they believed it to be “an isolated incident.”
McLean was last seen at his home in Lions Bay, British Columbia, on May 15, a week before the statement was issued. A missing persons report was filed to the Squamish Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Monday, May 18.
On Thursday, Squamish RCMP revealed that the case was “transitioning an ongoing missing person investigation to Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.”
“Squamish RCMP initiated an investigation and, through investigative efforts, uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr. McLean was [a] victim of homicide,” Thursday’s release continued. “On May 20, IHIT deployed and assumed conduct of the investigation. Squamish RCMP continues to work closely with IHIT and the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) to advance the investigation. “
In the wake of the news, McLean’s talent agency issued a statement on his death, writing, “It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved client, Stew McLean. I was fortunate to have worked with Stew for more than 10 years.”
“He was always such a pleasure to deal with – dedicated, professional, eager, and endlessly funny,” the statement, posted to Lucas Talent Inc’s Facebook account, continued. “Many casting directors have reached out to share their condolences with Stew’s family and with our agency, and every message says the same thing: what a truly great guy he was, and how deeply he will be missed. Rest in peace, Stew. xo”
The TV actor’s most recent credit was in the third episode of the seventh season of “Virgin River,” which aired on Netflix on March 12, 2026.
Prior to this, McLean appeared in an episode of several TV series, including “Murder in a Small Town,” the DC CW series “Arrow” and “The 100.” He additionally starred in the Canadian comedy series “Cloud Van Tales,” which ran for 22 episodes in 2019 and 2020.
McLean additionally appeared in a number of short films, features and TV movies, including David Hackl’s “Daughter of the Wolf” starring Gina Carano, Brendan Fehr and Richard Dreyfuss.
