Mystery Deepens: Shane Smith Vanished in McKenzie Towne Five Years Ago
Calgary, Alberta — The haunting mystery surrounding 20-year-old Shane Eric James Smith’s disappearance continues to weigh heavily on his family and friends, more than five years after he was last seen and believed to have been murdered in the southeast Calgary community of McKenzie Towne on June 6, 2020.
Shane Smith, a bright and energetic young man, was reported missing on June 7, 2020, one day after he disappeared. Investigators from the Calgary Police Service (CPS) quickly determined that foul play was likely involved. Detectives believe that Shane was killed late that Saturday night at a residence in southeast Calgary, although his body has never been recovered.
Shane’s disappearance initially began as a missing-person case, but within days it shifted to a homicide investigation. His vehicle, a gold 2002 Nissan Maxima, was discovered parked near the Bow River bridge on Deerfoot Trail S.E., at the southern edge of the city, sometime between 11 p.m. on June 6 and the morning of June 9. Investigators believe that window of time is when the crime occurred and when those responsible attempted to dispose of evidence.
After several days of extensive searching, Calgary police charged 24-year-old Ian Charles Abercrombie with second-degree murder and indignity to a human body in connection with Shane’s disappearance. A few months later, two additional men — Andrew Leger-Wagner and Andrew Thomas Bablitz — were charged with obstruction of justice, indignity to a human body, firearms trafficking, and other offences related to the case. Despite these arrests, the most crucial element of closure remains missing: Shane’s body has still not been found.
Over the years, the Smith family has continued to search the banks of the Bow River and nearby areas where investigators believe Shane’s remains may lie. Search teams of volunteers, friends, and relatives have scoured vast stretches of terrain, determined to bring him home.
Shane’s mother, Shirley Smith, has spoken often about the torment of not being able to properly bury her son. She describes her grief as an open wound — a pain that never fades because the family has no final place to say goodbye. “We can’t even begin to heal,” she said. “We just need to find him.”
Friends recall Shane as a loyal, funny, and kind-hearted young man who had a passion for life and was devoted to those he loved. A longtime friend described him as “the type of person who would do anything for you — always smiling, always ready to help.”
The Calgary Police Service continues to urge anyone with information to come forward. Investigators have repeatedly stated that they believe there are still individuals in the community who know where Shane’s body was taken. They remain hopeful that, with new leads, the case can finally be resolved and that the family will be able to lay Shane to rest.
As the fifth anniversary of his disappearance passes, the mystery remains one of Calgary’s most heartbreaking cases — a young life lost too soon, a family still waiting for answers, and a city that has not forgotten Shane Smith.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Calgary Police Service Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers anonymously.?
