‘Virgin River’ Actor Stewart McLean Found Dead Near Lions Bay Home in Homicide Investigation
The 45-year-old Canadian actor had not been seen since May 15 at his Lions Bay home; investigators are now reviewing CCTV footage and conducting interviews as they work to establish a timeline
Stewart McLean, a 45-year-old Canadian actor whose television credits included Netflix’s Virgin River and Fox’s Murder in a Small Town, has been found dead near his home in Lions Bay, British Columbia, as homicide investigators continue to piece together the circumstances of his disappearance and death.
British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team confirmed Friday that investigators had identified McLean’s remains in the Lions Bay area. McLean was reported missing on May 18 after he had not been seen since May 15. Squamish RCMP initially expressed serious concern for his health and well-being.
Homicide investigators set up a tent on local train tracks and went door to door speaking with residents in the Brunswick Beach area of Lions Bay on May 21. Lions Bay sits roughly 45 minutes from Vancouver, where McLean regularly worked on local film and television productions.
In a statement issued Friday, IHIT spokesperson Cpl. Esther Tupper said investigators are collecting and analyzing evidence, reviewing CCTV footage, and conducting interviews to build a detailed timeline of McLean’s movements before May 15. “We are pursuing all available leads as we work to find answers for the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. McLean,” Tupper said. No arrests have been announced and authorities have not publicly disclosed what evidence led them to classify the case as a homicide.
Lions Bay Search and Rescue led the initial effort to locate McLean before homicide investigators took over the case. The RCMP has asked anyone with information to contact the IHIT tip line.
His Vancouver talent agency, Lucas Talent, mourned his loss in a public statement. “He was always such a pleasure to deal with — dedicated, professional, eager, and endlessly funny,” the agency wrote. “Many casting directors have reached out to share their condolences, and every message says the same thing: what a truly great guy he was, and how deeply he will be missed.”
McLean had maintained a steady career as a working TV actor since around 2015, appearing in single episodes of Arrow, Supernatural, Travelers, Loudermilk, and Virgin River, along with several TV movies. His most recent screen credit came in a 2026 episode of Virgin River, which films in British Columbia. He was sometimes credited professionally as Stew McLean.
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