On October 3, 2024, 45-year-old Patrick Garrett Chum disappeared from Cochrane, Ontario. Almost two years later, he remains missing, yet remarkably little has been made public about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Pat-Garrett was born in 1979 and is Indigenous. According to Canada’s Missing, he is approximately 5’7″ tall and weighs about 161 pounds, with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. He also has visibly missing teeth, along with several distinctive features that could help someone recognize him.
Pat-Garrett has a mole on the left side of his jaw and a burn scar on his right calf. On his left calf is a tattoo of a feather accompanied by the words “TANIKA ALEENA.” These identifying features may be especially important if someone encountered Pat-Garrett without knowing his name.
He may also be known by other names. While he goes by simply Pat or Pat-Garrett, Canada’s Missing does list his aliases as Patrick Garret Chum, Chris Sutherland and Pat Chum. Someone who knew Pat-Garrett casually, worked with him, travelled with him or encountered him shortly before his disappearance may therefore recognize one of those names rather than Pat-Garrett.
Although Pat-Garrett is missing from Cochrane, his connections extend to other parts of Ontario. Authorities say he is known to frequent Cochrane, North Bay and Moose Factory. These communities are separated by considerable distances, potentially giving investigators a wide geographical area to consider when attempting to determine where Pat-Garrett may have gone.
What is not known publicly is whether Pat-Garrett intended to travel to any of those places when he disappeared. There has been no confirmed public report that he reached North Bay or Moose Factory after October 3, nor has police information indicated that he was believed to be heading toward either community.
In fact, one of the most striking things about Pat-Garrett’s disappearance is how little is publicly known about his final movements. October 3, 2024, is recorded as his official missing-since date, and Canada’s Missing states that he was last seen in Cochrane in October 2024. Beyond that, the publicly available timeline becomes frustratingly sparse.
There does not appear to be a publicly released precise location for Pat-Garrett’s last known sighting in Cochrane. Authorities have not publicly identified what time he was last seen, who last saw or spoke with him, what he was wearing, where he was staying, or what he planned to do next. There is also no identified vehicle connected to his disappearance. Nothing currently available indicates whether Pat-Garrett was travelling by car, walking, receiving rides from other people or using public transportation when contact with him stopped.
In addition, there is no public information appears to establish whether investigators were able to trace Pat-Garrett ‘s cellphone, banking activity, social-media accounts or other electronic records after October 3. There have been no publicly confirmed reports of him purchasing transportation, checking into accommodation or making contact with friends or relatives elsewhere after he vanished.
There is another significant gap in the public record: there does not appear to be any detailed reporting about searches being conducted in any attempt to locate Pat-Garrett.
That does not mean police have not searched for him or carried out extensive investigative work behind the scenes. Missing-person investigations can involve interviews, record checks, electronic evidence and searches that are never described publicly. It simply means there is little publicly available information explaining what investigative steps have been taken in Pat-Garrett ‘s case or what those efforts may have revealed.
There has also been no public indication from police that Pat-Garrett ‘s disappearance is being investigated as a homicide or that foul play has been established. At the same time, authorities have not publicly offered an explanation for where they believe Pat-Garrett went or why he disappeared.
That leaves his family and the public with very few answers:
Was Pat-Garrett planning to leave Cochrane? Did he intend to travel to North Bay or Moose Factory? Did someone give him a ride? Did he experience an accident or become stranded somewhere? Did someone see him after October 3 without realizing that he would later be reported missing? Or is there someone who knows considerably more about Pat-Garrett ‘s final movements than has ever been made public?
At this point, those are questions rather than theories. There is simply not enough verified information available to determine what happened to Pat-Garrett after he was last seen.
The geography surrounding his known connections may also complicate the search. Cochrane sits in northeastern Ontario, while North Bay is hundreds of kilometres farther south. Moose Factory, meanwhile, is a remote community on Moose Factory Island near the southern end of James Bay. If Pat-Garrett regularly travelled between different northern Ontario communities, determining exactly where to concentrate a search could be difficult without a confirmed destination or subsequent sighting.
One of the most troubling aspects of Pat-Garrett’s case is its relatively low public profile. Despite Pat-Garrett having been missing since October 2024, there appears to be very little substantial media coverage dedicated specifically to his disappearance. There are no widely circulated interviews describing his final day, no detailed public timeline and few publicly reported developments that might keep his name before a wider audience.
For a missing person, that lack of attention matters. Sometimes the smallest detail—a remembered conversation, a ride someone provided, a sighting outside a store, or an encounter that seemed insignificant at the time—can become important once someone realizes the person they saw was missing.
Pat-Garrett’s has connections to several communities make that possibility particularly important. Someone may remember meeting “Pat,” “Pat-Garrett,” or another name associated with him without realizing that the man they encountered was Patrick Garrett Chum.
As of August 2026, Canada’s Missing continues to list Pat-Garrett as missing. Nearly two years have now passed since Pat-Garrett disappeared. We know what he looks like. We know the identifying marks he carries. We know the communities he was known to frequent. And we know that on October 3, 2024, his documented trail came to an end.
What we still don’t know is the most important thing of all.
Where is Pat-Garrett?
If you have information on Pat-Garrett ‘s case, please contact any of the following:
Cochrane OPP OPP ONCMPUR:
Telephone: 1-877-934-6363 or 1-705-330-4144
Email: opp.isb.resolve@opp.ca
Reference Case#: RM25101285
Canada’s Missing Case reference: 2025021022
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
Sources: Canada’s Missing, Ontario Provincial Police.
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