Lorne Ryan says his son Justin was kind, loving, fun, and generous. The 36-year old father loved cooking, and was planning to go to culinary school. He lived with his sister in the same complex as his family, and would often cook meals for everyone to enjoy.
Lorne and his family are now grieving the loss of Justin, after he was found dead near Redsand lake. He had left the day before with what Ryan says was an on-again-off-again girlfriend.
Ryan says that when police came to the door at 1am on August 1st, they asked for Ryan to identify his son by his tattoos – then told him that he had been found deceased.
“He was found on the side of the road, the entrance. As you go down to Red Sand Lake. They claim that he was falling down, and that’s how they found him. They figured he was falling down, but we had the picture. The late young lady that found him deceased took a picture of him, and the way his arms were tucked into his stomach, and the way it was, it looked like somebody placed them there.”
Ryan says he asked the police if they questioned the person his son was with. He says RCMP said the person claimed to be Justin’s common law spouse, and allowed her to take Justin’s vehicle without questioning.
Ryan says that he told police his son didn’t live common law- he lived in an apartment upstairs with his sister. Ryan even offered to show police the living space. Ryan says the police declined.
He says police told him the two were drinking, got into an argument, and she left him behind.
“The RCMP did release a press statement. After they found him, claiming no foul play and the general public isn’t at, wasn’t at, risk. I’m definitely saying there was foul play. We got to view my son two days after they found him at the hospital. And, there was ten of our family members, plus some friends. And you could just take one look at his face. And, you know, there was foul play. He had two black eyes, a broken nose, bruises all over his face, and, at that point, we knew there was foul play. But. I’m just dumbfounded, or astonished, at the inactions of the RCMP.”
The release from RCMP stated no criminality is suspected and RCMP stated there is no threat to the public.
“On the evening of July 31, 2025, police received a report of a deceased male in the woods, just off the West Kalum Forest Service Road. RCMP attended the area along with a member of the BC Coroners Service. Currently no criminality is suspected and RCMP state there is no threat to the public in relation to this death. This file remains open with the BC Coroners Service.”
We reached out to RCMP for further information or comment but were referred to the BC Coroner’s service. We reached out to the BC Coroners service but did not hear back by deadline. The Ryan family also awaits the coroner’s report.