Facial reconstruction of Canadian unidentified human remains

In January 2020, students at the New York Academy of Art reconstructed 15 faces of Canadian unidentified human remains. As part of the forensic sculpture workshop, they applied clay directly to 3D-printed replicas of the real skulls. This was the first time we've partnered with the academy. Due to their delicate nature and as a result of COVID restrictions, each reconstructed skull was later digitally scanned to preserve them in case of damage. In 2022, links to interactive 3D viewers of each scan were made available below. The following are those that are still unidentified.

Do you know who they are?

These are the faces that were reconstructed by the New York Academy of Art. Have a look and help us bring them home.

You can see more details on each case or submit tips on the Canada's Missing website.

Male, aged 45 to 70, discovered in Vancouver, British Columbia, 1990

• Several healed fractures, including one on the right side of the skull
• Case reference: 2014001040
• Interactive 3D view of: 2014001040

Male, aged 30 to 49, discovered in Delta, British Columbia, 1998

• Dark T-shirt with "Bugle Boy
• Wooden cross necklace on cord
• Case reference: 2014001023
• Interactive 3D view of: 2014001023

Male, aged 40 to 60, discovered in Burnaby, British Columbia, 2019

• Green hoody with "Athletic" on front
• May have gone missing in 2013
• Case reference: 2019045788
• Interactive 3D view of: 2019045788

Male, aged 30 to 49, discovered on Whistler Mountain, British Columbia, 1987

• May have been from South Africa or the United States
• Case reference: 2014001084
• Interactive 3D view of: 2014001084

Male, aged 25 to 40, discovered in North Vancouver, British Columbia, 1994

• Suspicious death
• Healed fracture to his right wrist
• May have had an old injury to the lower back
• Case reference: 2014001219
• Interactive 3D view of: 2014001219

Male, aged 40 to 55, discovered in Parksville, British Columbia, 1992

• US currency in pocket
• Recently had surgery for ingrown toenails
• Healed collarbone fracture
• Case reference: 2014001116
• Interactive 3D view of: 2014001116

Male, aged 50 to 65, discovered in West Vancouver, British Columbia, 1996

• Healed injuries possibly from major accident including:
  • severe injuries to his right arm and leg
  • a fractured skull, nose and ribs
• Case reference: 2012020147
• Interactive 3D view of: 2012020147

Male, aged 30 to 49, discovered in Coquitlam, British Columbia, 1998

• Visibly decayed teeth
• Left knee deformity
• Osgoode-Schlater's disease
• Case reference: 2012020165
• Interactive 3D view of: 2012020165

Male, aged 20 to 40, discovered on Hollyburn Mountain, British Columbia, 1984

• Tan suede cowboy boots, Double H brand
• Black leather braided belt
• Case reference: 2012020173
• Interactive 3D view of: 2012020173

Male, aged 40 to 60, discovered in Port Moody, British Columbia, 1995

• Osteoarthritis in neck and back
• Wearing Edmonton Psychiatric Centre underwear
• Case reference: 2012020169
• Interactive 3D view of: 2012020169

Male, aged 30 to 50, discovered in Richmond, British Columbia, 2004

• Good dental work
• Gold tooth in left lower jaw
• Case reference: 2012020159
• Interactive 3D view of: 2012020159

Choosing the skulls for the project

We reached out to coroners and medical examiners across the country to find suitable skulls for this project. The 15 skulls selected:

• were in the best condition
• are all male
• came from British Columbia and Nova Scotia
• were located between 1972 and 2019

Although they were found in two provinces, they could be from anywhere.

What we want to achieve

Without knowing the missing peoples' identities, it's impossible to return them home. We want to unlock the mystery of who they are and bring closure to their families and loved ones. We hope that the facial reconstructions will encourage tips from the public.

We also want to learn from this experience to try to bring this type of workshop to Canada.

Partners in the project

Besides the New York Academy of Art, other partners in this project included:

• National Research Council Canada
• British Columbia Coroners Service
• Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service
• Police investigators for each set of remains

Date modified:

2021-11-04