On the afternoon of November 27, 2022, 65-year-old Alexander Joseph Lawson, known to his family and friends as Alex or AJ, was last seen in the 200 block of Madeline Street in Thunder Bay, Ontario. No one knew that it would be the last confirmed sighting of him.
Alex was a member of Lac Seul First Nation and had spent much of his life connected to Mishkeegogamang First Nation. Those who knew him described him as someone who loved to walk. He was comfortable travelling long distances on foot and was familiar with many parts of Thunder Bay. If he needed to get somewhere, he would often walk or hitchhike, something his family said he had done for years. That ordinary habit would later make his disappearance all the more puzzling.
When Alex was last seen, he was wearing a black baseball cap, a light-colored North Face puffer jacket with a dark upper section, blue jeans, and black shoes. Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall, with long grey hair, brown eyes and usually a goatee, he was someone who should have been recognizable to those who knew him. But after that November afternoon, Alex simply vanished.
As hours turned into days without any word from him, concern grew among his children and extended family. It wasn’t like Alex to disappear without making contact. When he failed to return or reach out, the Thunder Bay Police Service launched a missing person investigation.
Detectives immediately began following leads. Investigators interviewed witnesses, reviewed surveillance footage, and searched locations throughout Thunder Bay with assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police. But despite those efforts, they found no evidence explaining what had happened after Alex was last seen.
One discovery troubled his family even more. Security cameras from Alex’s apartment building were reviewed, yet investigators found no footage showing him returning home after he disappeared. It was as though his trail had ended.
As weeks became months, another alarming pattern emerged. Alex had not used his health card, status card, or any other known identification since the day he vanished. For his daughter, Kimberly Lawson, this was deeply concerning. There was no indication that he had sought medical care, accessed services, or carried on with his daily life. It was as though he had simply ceased to exist.
Still, his family refused to stop searching. Kimberly became the public face of the search for her father, speaking to the media and organizing search efforts alongside relatives, friends, volunteers, and members of Lac Seul First Nation and Mishkeegogamang First Nation. Together, they walked wooded areas, vacant lots, roadsides, and neighborhoods throughout Thunder Bay, determined to find any clue that might lead them to Alex.
In emotional public appeals, Kimberly asked residents to do something simple but incredibly important. She urged people to search their own properties.
“Please check your sheds, garages, trailers, boats, abandoned buildings—any place someone could go unnoticed,” she pleaded, reminding the public that even the smallest discovery could help answer the questions her family had been living with every day.
As the investigation continued, reports of possible sightings surfaced from locations as far away as Belleville, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Each report offered a brief glimmer of hope, but after careful investigation, sadly none could be confirmed.
The mystery only deepened. Police have never publicly disclosed where Alex was heading that day or why he was in the Madeline Street area. They have not announced whether they suspect foul play, identified any persons of interest, or explained what they believe happened after his last confirmed sighting. More than two years later, the investigation remains active, but many of the most important questions remain unanswered.
Recognizing that someone may hold the key to solving the case, the Thunder Bay Police Service established a dedicated tip line and announced a $5,000 reward for information leading investigators to confirm Alex’s whereabouts. Even with renewed searches, public appeals, and hundreds of volunteer hours, Alex has not been found.
As of today, Alexander Joseph Lawson remains listed as a missing person by both the Thunder Bay Police Service and the RCMP National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains. His family continues to hope that someone who saw him on that November afternoon or knows what happened after he disappeared will finally come forward.
For Kimberly Lawson, the search has never been about statistics or headlines. It has always been about bringing her father home.
Until the truth is known, every passing day is another day without answers. But it is also another day that Alex’s family refuses to give up hope that someone, somewhere, knows the final chapter of his story.
If you have information on Alex’s case, please contact any of the following:
Thunder Bay Police Service:
Reference Case#: MLTB22072056
Canada’s Missing Case reference: 2022065035
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477)
Online at: https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip
Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping
Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at: canadasmissing-disparuscanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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Sources: Canada’s Missing, Thunder Bay Police Service, TBnewswatch, APTN News, NetNewsLedger
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