Nanaimo News Bulletin - Jan 3, 2020
Summary
Nanaimo News Bulletin: Fri Jan 3, 2020 (Chris Bush) Person of interest in Makayla Chang murder case arrested on unrelated charge
source: https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/rcmp-arrest-person-of-interest-in-makayla-chang-murder-case-on-unrelated-matter/
archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200104033955/https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/rcmp-arrest-person-of-interest-in-makayla-chang-murder-case-on-unrelated-matter/
clip: https://lisamarieyoung.ca/n/nnb20200103
[Reproduced under Copyright Act (Canada) s.29.2 - Fair Dealing for the purpose of news reporting]
Person of interest in Makayla Chang murder case arrested on unrelated charge
Police have arrested Steven Michael Bacon, a person of interest in Makayla Chang's murder, on an unrelated charge.
Bacon was associated with Chang prior to the 16-year-old's disappearance in March 2017. Police found her body in May of that year.
No one was ever charged with Chang's murder and, although police had spoken with Bacon, neither he nor anyone else has been named as a suspect in the case, which remains unsolved.
Bacon was described as a "person of interest," however, when Nanaimo RCMP serious crime unit put out a press release in August asking for the public's help in locating Bacon so they could speak with him.
Kerry Chang, Makayla's father, said he was informed of Bacon's arrest Friday when two RCMP investigators arrived at his residence with a question for Janine Vautour, Makayla's mother, regarding some information they were following up on in the investigation into Lisa Marie Young's disappearance in 2002 and informed him during the conversation that Bacon had been arrested.
"They're still following up on a lot of information they have, and I guess they just took it for granted that we knew already," Chang said. "I heard something yesterday that there was a possibility, but nothing had been confirmed until today."
Chang did not receive details about Bacon's arrest from the officers, other than that Bacon was arrested for something unrelated to Makayla's murder. Chang said he was finding out bits and pieces of information from friends who told him Bacon was caught somewhere between Chemainus and Lake Cowichan.
"I'm glad to see they made an arrest, at least ... they said he was arrested in an unrelated manner, but that he would be held in custody for some time," Chang said.
Const. Gary O'Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, confirmed today, Jan. 3, Bacon has been arrested and that it was for a matter unrelated to the murder investigation.
"We can confirm Steven Bacon has been arrested on an unrelated matter to the Makayla Chang investigation," O'Brien said. "We are not in a position to state why he was arrested, where he was arrested or where he is currently being incarcerated. Mr. Bacon currently remains a person of interest in the Makayla Chang investigation, which is an active investigation."
Prior to Bacon's alleged arrest Thursday, he had not had contact with police since 2017.
[image caption:] Steven Michael Bacon, who police named as a person of interest in the unsolved murder of Makayla Chang in Nanaimo, has been arrested on an unrelated matter. (Photo submitted)
See also: ‘Cowardly, vicious crime’: Man, 60, sentenced to life for murder of Nanaimo teen (Times Colonist, April 15, 2023) — Caution: disturbing details.
It's not clear what connection there is between Lisa's case and Makayla's.
