02/22/08: Dennis Cornish, 37, 100 Mile House, BC, Canada

Dennis's story
On Feb. 22, 2008, Dennis James Cornish, 37 vanished after purchasing fuel at Race Trac gas station on highway 97 at the entrance to the 108 Mile Ranch subdivision. It was the last time he was seen. His brown 1995 GMC pickup was later found abandoned in the city of 100 Mile House, British Columbia.


The Search for Dennis Cornish
Dennis Cornish's parents, Janette and Dennis, made the trip from Calgary to 100 Mile House to hand out flyers, checking in with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and speaking with the 100 Mile Free Press. A Facebook page was created by Dennis's friend, Ken Mont from Calgary. Early on, Dennis's family expressed concerns on the page that Dennis had met with foul play.

On the one-year anniversary of his disappearance, the Cornish family released a statement that read, "It is now a year since our son, Dennis went missing. We know he is no longer with us. That is the focus of the RCMP investigation. Our family does not know how and why he died. The most important thing for us is finding his body. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of him. We can’t find peace and move on until we have his remains and give him a proper burial. We are open to all suggestions as to where Dennis might be."

When we come to the last moment of this lifetime,
As we look across it,
The only thing that is going to matter is,
“What is the quality of our love?”
~Richard Bach, as read by Dennis's sister, Corrine, at his memorial service on 8/16/09.

Sadly, it was later determined that Dennis had been murdered. On June 8, Darin Randle, a friend of Dennis's was arrested in his death. An RCMP officer flew to Calgary to inform Dennis's parents. On their Facebook page, the family posted, "We were advised that DARIN RANDLE, Dennis’ friend in 100 Mile House, had been arrested for murder and subsequently charged with “indecency to a body.” To date Dennis’ body has not been found. [Randle] was released until his next court appearance in July. If you have any further information regarding these charges, please contact Constable Jay Grierson, North District, Major Crime Unit – (250) 649-3923."

A trial is set to begin September 05, 2012. It is our sincerest hope that some measure of justice can be will be found for Dennis and his family.

About Dennis Cornish

Dennish Cornish, whose friends called "Corn", lived in the 100 Mile area for two years before planning to return to his home-province of Alberta in the beginning of 2008. His family states that he had an amazing smile, a love of life, and a positive attitude. At his memorial service, friends said that he was caring and non-judgmental, bringing many good things to the world.

"Dennis’ life was full of adventure and he lived on the edge. He grew up in the community of Mapleridge, Calgary. A big part of his time there was participating in Lacrosse. The family has many fond memories of Dennis’ team mates, his coach, Mr. Boykiw, lacrosse games and tournaments. Dennis loved water and snow skiing and became a Certified Canadian Ski Instructor in his early 20s. He had an inherent understanding of mechanics and technology. Computers became one of his passions. He received Computer Technology Certificates from SAIT. He worked for Apex Cable and then 5 years as a computer analyst at the Calgary Board of Education. He went on to apply his computer skills in video and slide presentations for businesses and individuals. From Calgary, Dennis found his way to Canmore, Kelowna and finally Northern BC where he settled for a couple of years.

He had a beautiful spirit and he touched many people with his warm and charming nature. We know and feel he is always with us....



Dennis Cornish Memorial Bench



A lovely memorial bench has been placed in Fish Creek Provincial Park to commemorate the life of Dennis Cornish. The inscription reads, "In Loving Memory of Dennis James Cornish 1970-2008. He lived, loved and laughed."

Dennis leaves behind a 13-year-old daughter, Chay. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to her education fund may do so at any Royal Bank - Trust account #: 06892-5099254.

Quick Facts:
Name/age: Dennish Cornish, 37
Date of birth: 9/13/70
Residence: 100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada
Last seen: 02/22/08: Race Trac gas station on highway 97 at the entrance to the 108 Mile Ranch subdivision near city of 100 Mile House in British Columbia, Canada
Physical Description: 5' 7" tall, 165 lbs, short brown hair and hazel eyes. Tattoo on his right upper arm of a yin/yang symbol with crossed swords through it. Wears a heavy silver neck chain.
Investigating Agency: 100 Mile House RCMP at 250-395-2456
Links: Facebook

Originally published: 4/28/10. Updated 12/2/10.