Prince George, B.C. - Opinion 250 has confirmed, the forensic search on a Pinewood Road property west of Prince George is for the remains of Nicole Hoar.

Contacted by Opinion250 at his Red Deer home, Jack Hoar, Nicole’s father, says the RCMP have contacted him and advised him they possibly “but can’t be certain” they have the location of Nicole’s remains.  At this point, the Hoar’s have no plans to come to Prince George  “We will just sit tight and wait and see” says Hoar, “Although it would be  good to have closure.”

Nicole was just 25 when she disappeared while hitch-hiking to Smithers on June 21, 2002.  She had been working in the Prince George region as a tree planter.

The property that has been cordoned off and is the subject of a forensic search, is just 30 kilometers from the spot where she had last been seen alive. 

(at right, mobile forensic unit sits on the side of the road in front of the subject property)

Pinewood Road is at the end of Isle Pierre Road, west of Prince George.   RCMP  say the current residents of the mobile home on the property are not believed to have any involvement in the case at hand.   The RCMP have put them up in a  hotel in Prince George until the search of the property has been completed, only the family dog remains at home.

Although the “E” Division   media relations person, Corporal Annie Linteau won’t say who or what they are looking for at that Pinewood Road address, it is clear the investigators have enough information to believe they will find something at that site. With the “E” Division mobile forensic trailer, a mobile command post and numerous officers (including a public relations person) this is no fishing expedition.

Corporal Linteau has indicated there would be more information in the days to come as the team is expected to be on site for “several days.”

The property was  previously owned  by  Leland Switzer.  He purchased the property in May of 1994, and sold it in 2005 around the time he was sentenced  for  the second degree murder of his brother Irvin.  He had shot his brother  just  two days after  Nicole  went missing  in  June of  2002.

In May of 2007,  an extensive search for Nicole's remains  was conducted around the Norman Lake Transfer station  dump.   While the search,  (organized by a  private  investigator) failed to  find anything,  the  search  area  is  about 10 km away from the   property  that  is now under the  microscope.

In the meantime, the Hoar family sits and waits for word on when they might be able to finally bring Nicole home.