Canadian actor Stewart McLean, a familiar face to viewers of Netflix’s “Virgin River” and a working character actor with more than three decades of television credits, was found dead in British Columbia in what authorities are now investigating as a homicide. He was 45.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced Friday, May 22, 2026, that McLean’s remains were discovered in Lions Bay, a small coastal community roughly 30 miles north of Vancouver. Investigators have not disclosed the precise date the body was found, nor have they identified a suspect, motive or cause of death. The B.C. Coroners Service is working to determine how he died.

What began as a missing person case has now become one of the most closely watched homicide investigations in the province. McLean was last seen May 15 at his home in Lions Bay. When he didn’t show up for a scheduled day of filming on May 16, the people who knew him best say they suspected immediately that something had gone wrong.

A Disappearance That Raised Alarms

The Squamish division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police received the missing person report Monday, May 18. By Tuesday, officers were publicly urging anyone with information to come forward, saying they were “very concerned for Stewart’s health and well-being.”

The tone of the investigation shifted within 48 hours. IHIT confirmed it began investigating McLean’s death on Wednesday, and on Thursday, Squamish RCMP formally transferred the case to the homicide team. The handoff signaled that what officers had uncovered during the initial search was no longer consistent with a simple missing person inquiry.

“Squamish RCMP initiated an investigation and, through investigative efforts, uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr. McLean was victim of homicide,” police said in a statement, declining to describe the nature of that evidence.

IHIT has characterized the killing as “an isolated incident,” language typically used to reassure the public that investigators do not believe a wider threat exists. The agency is working alongside the Integrated Forensic Identification Service on the case.

Building a Timeline From CCTV and Interviews

Detectives are now piecing together McLean’s final movements. According to IHIT Cpl. Esther Tupper, investigators are reviewing CCTV footage, examining physical evidence and conducting interviews to reconstruct his activities in the hours and days 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. IHIT has asked anyone with information to contact its tip line.

Lions Bay, perched along the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler, is a community of fewer than 1,500 residents. Violent crime in the village is exceedingly rare, which has only intensified attention on the case.

A Three-Decade Career on Canadian Sets

Born in Edmonton, McLean often went by Stew. He built a career as a reliable working actor in the Vancouver-centered Canadian production industry, accumulating more than 30 credits across television and film. He was also listed on IMDb as a producer.

His most recent on-screen appearance was in an episode of Netflix’s “Virgin River,” the long-running romance series shot in British Columbia. He was best known for his roles on Freeform’s “Beyond” and the Netflix series “Travelers,” frequently credited as “Traveler” on industry listings. Other credits included The CW’s “Arrow,” the ABC crime drama “Murder in a Small Town,” the Paramount+ true crime series “Happy Face” and the Lifetime TV movie “The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story.”

Lucas Talent Inc., the agency that represented him, posted a tribute remembering McLean as “dedicated, professional, eager, and endlessly funny.” Agent Jodi Caplan, who had represented him for more than a decade, said the response from the industry has been overwhelming.

“Many casting directors have reached out to share their condolences with Stew’s family and with our agency, and every message says the same thing: what a truly great guy he was, and how deeply he will be missed,” Caplan said.

Friends Sensed Something Was Wrong

Acting coach Jeff Seymour, a friend of McLean’s for eight years, told The Canadian Press he grew alarmed when McLean failed to show up to a scheduled shoot on May 16, the day after he was last seen.

“He was meticulous about everything, and there would be no chance he blew it off or slept too late,” Seymour said. “As soon as I heard he didn’t make it on Saturday morning, I knew there was big trouble.” Of the suspected killing, Seymour added: “It just doesn’t make any sense. He was incredibly situationally aware.”

For now, investigators have offered few specifics, and the people closest to McLean are left with the same questions as the public. The homicide investigation remains active, and IHIT is continuing to gather evidence and interviews as it works to establish what happened in the days surrounding May 15.