On August 10, 1994, 55-year-old Nicholas Gerard Jacques Masee and his wife, Lisa, disappeared from their North Vancouver, British Columbia home under what police have described as suspicious circumstances. The couple was scheduled to have dinner at Trader Vic's, a restaurant in downtown Vancouver, with a potential investor for a $10 million business deal. However, the meeting, which had been rescheduled for later in the evening, never took place. The following morning, August 11, which was also Lisa's 39th birthday, she made two phone calls. In these calls, one to her employer and another to one of her husband's business associates, she stated that they would be away for a few days. This was the last time anyone heard from them.
Days later, when Lisa's sister went to check on the couple, she found their home unlocked with the security system turned off, which was considered highly unusual.
Their car was still in the driveway, and inside the house, their passports and their 17-year-old cat were found. Adding to the unsettling scene, two plastic zip ties, similar to those used as handcuffs, were discovered just inside the front entrance. There has been no activity on their bank accounts since their disappearance. The circumstances surrounding their vanishing have led to several theories, including the possibility that they were victims of foul play or that they orchestrated their own disappearance.
The investigation into the Masees' disappearance has been complex and filled with perplexing details. In the months leading up to their disappearance, the couple had taken a secret trip to the Cayman Islands in April 1994, where they opened a bank account. Friends and family noted that Nicholas, who was typically open about his travels, had become somewhat secretive. He had recently retired from a 35-year career at the Bank of Montreal and was involved with a company called Turbodyne Technologies Inc., which traded on the often-tumultuous Vancouver Stock Exchange. The case remains one of North Vancouver RCMP's most significant and perplexing missing person files. Over the years, Nicholas's children have made public appeals for information and increased a reward for any details that could lead to a resolution. Despite the passage of time, the family continues to seek closure, and investigators believe that someone may hold the key to finally understanding what happened to Nicholas and Lisa Masee. Police have stated they believe the couple died as a result of a criminal act, though the specifics of what that crime might be remain unknown.Last Seen: Aug 10, 1994
