Members of Marshal Iwaasa's family speaking with media on Monday, August 17 (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

UPDATE: Missing man’s family launches petition to have disappearance investigated as criminal case

Aug 17, 2020 | 11:58 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Marshal Iwaasa’s family is not giving up.

Iwaasa has been missing since last November. Following his disappearance, his burned-out truck was discovered in the B.C. backcountry around Pemberton.

Multiple search efforts have been taken to locate the southern Alberta man since he was last seen on November 17, 2019.

Lethbridge Police (LPS) are currently leading the investigation into his disappearance.

READ MORE: Family of missing southern Alberta man conducts search in Pemberton backcountry

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However, Iwaasa’s family believes more needs to be done.

They’ve launched a petition to have Marshal’s disappearance investigated as a criminal case.

“From what we’ve learned along the way, there’s some barriers when it’s not considered criminal. There’s barriers to what the police are allowed to access and to look into. There’s barriers as far as the historical data that they can gather on my brother to see what was happening prior to his disappearance,” said Paige Fogen, Iwaasa’s sister.

“For us, this has always been very suspicious. At this point where we’re at in his investigation, nine months in, we believe as a family that this is a criminal case and we do want to push to [have it] treated that way.”

Fogen said that if the matter does become a criminal case, officials will be able to access further evidence and break down the aforementioned barriers as part of the investigation.

READ MORE: Lethbridge Police to keep Marshal Iwaasa case open

She explained that through the petition, the family is asking for the following actions to take place:

• Marsha’s disappearance and case be classified and investigated as criminal
• Items found at the scene of the truck be tested for fingerprints and DNA
• A thorough search of Marshal’s last known location (a storage unit in Lethbridge) and the surrounding area be undertaken
• Items in the storage unit be fingerprinted and tested
• Fire investigation report – re: the burned-out truck – be completed and provided to LPS
• Increased collaboration of LPS with the hired private investigators on Marshal’s case

The family says they are awaiting the results of the RCMP fire investigation that took place at the end of June to determine the cause of the fire that resulted in Iwaasa’s truck being burned.

Posters and stickers featuring information about Marshal (Lethbridge News Now)

“We didn’t ever think we would get to a point where we had to start a petition to have my brother’s case moved into criminal but yet here we are, nine months later, with no answers,” Fogen added.

The Iwaasa family has also hired a private local investigation team to look at Marshal’s disappearance.

As of Monday morning, the petition had over 3,000 signatures.

In response to Monday’s Iwaasa news conference, Lethbridge City Police have issued the following statement:

“The Lethbridge Police Service understands the family of Marshal Iwaasa is seeking answers in relation to his disappearance, and we can assure the community the investigation will remain open and ongoing until he is located.

A thorough and comprehensive investigation has been undertaken and any and all new evidence or information that comes to light in future will continue to be vigorously pursued.

From the onset of the missing person investigation Iwaasa’s disappearance has been considered suspicious, however, as previously stated, there is no credible, corroborated or compelling evidence to suggest foul play or that the matter is criminal in nature.

Not all information and evidence in this case has been or can be shared publicly or with the Iwaasa family in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

LPS is aware of an online petition initiated by the Iwaasa family to have the missing person case re-classified as criminal, however in order for any investigation to be deemed criminal there must be evidence to support that a crime has occurred. With respect to the Iwaasa investigation, there is no such evidence and the matter cannot be re-classified at this time.”