Body of missing Nelson resident Christopher Newton found

Published 11:20 am Wednesday, March 4, 2026

The body of missing Nelson resident Christopher Newton has been located.

Newton disappeared in August 2024. His remains were located on a private property north of the city, according to a March 3 statement from the Nelson Police Department.

Newton’s family, which organized several local searches for him, said in a statement it was devastated by the news.

“For many months we feared this would be the outcome based on what we had already learned during the past year. Even so, hearing those words spoken officially is something no parent is ever prepared for.”

Originally from Edmonton, Newton moved to Nelson in 2019 where he mostly lived in a tent near train tracks. Shortly before his disappearance, Newton’s family said his camp had been levelled and belongings removed.

Newton was 33-years-old when he was reported missing. He suffered from schizophrenia and struggled with a substance-use disorder.

READ MORE: ‘Tightrope between hope and loss’: A mother’s search for her missing son in Nelson

Read the entire statement from Newton’s family below:

On March 2, 2026, our family received official confirmation from B.C. Coroner Service that human remains discovered last year on private property located approximately two miles north of Nelson, near Highway 3A, have now been identified as my son, Christopher Newton, who was 33 when he went missing.

For many months we feared this would be the outcome based on what we had already learned during the past year. Even so, hearing those words spoken officially is something no parent is ever prepared for.

Before anything else, I want people to know who Christopher was.

Christopher was a son and a brother who brought kindness, humour, and warmth into the lives of those who knew him. As a young person he was the captain of his hockey team and a sponsored skateboarder who spent countless hours perfecting his craft. He had a deep love for the outdoors and animals, and being in nature was where he felt most at peace.

Christopher was also an arborist who built a successful tree service business in Alberta through hard work and determination. He was proud of the life he had created and the work he did.

He later moved to British Columbia to pursue his dream of building a life there. Christopher came to Nelson believing it could become home, a place where he hoped to grow his work and build a future.

Our family lives in Alberta, and like many families supporting someone struggling far from home, we did everything we could from a distance to help him.

Over time Christopher began to struggle with serious mental illness. When someone lives with that kind of illness, families often find themselves trying to help while navigating systems that can be incredibly difficult to access. Privacy laws and barriers frequently left us shut out at the very moments we were trying hardest to support him.

Christopher was never defined by those struggles. He was our son, and he deserved compassion, support, and safety.

The condition in which Christopher’s remains were found is something no family should ever have to face. It is a reality our family will carry for the rest of our lives.

In the months that followed the discovery of the site, our family and volunteers organized and carried out three independent searches of the property in an effort to find answers and recover additional remains. Searching for our own child and gathering what remained of him is something no parent should ever have to endure.

Because of the condition in which Christopher’s remains were found, our family now lives with the painful reality that parts of our son may never be recovered.

What we experienced has left us with profound grief and unanswered questions about how this could happen.

If anyone carries information or memories that could help bring greater understanding to what happened to Christopher, we hope they will find the courage to come forward.

Christopher mattered. His story deserves to be known. What happened to him should matter to all of us.

To the people of Nelson, we ask that you remember Christopher not as a headline or a tragedy, but as a resident who walked your streets and whose life is now forever tied to your community.

The place where my son was found will always carry meaning for our family, and I will carry that truth with me for the rest of my life.

To the many people in Nelson and beyond who showed compassion and support to our family throughout this journey, we are deeply grateful. Your kindness carried us through moments when the weight of this loss felt unbearable.

For our family, this journey is not over.

My son’s life mattered, and the truth about what happened to him matters too.

Christopher deserved dignity in life and dignity in death. As his family, we will continue to speak for him and advocate for the changes needed so that no other family has to endure what ours has.

Christopher’s story will not end in silence.

Christine Moore

Mother of Christopher Newton