FOR a quarter century, secrecy has blanketed the disappearance of North Vancouver’s Nick Masée Sr. and Lisa Masée. To mark the 25th anniversary, Nick Masée Sr.’s children, Nick Masée Jr. and Tanya Masée Van Ravenzwaaij, are renewing their appeal to the public for help to lift the veil of silence that has left them confused and heartbroken since 1994.
In the weeks and months after the Masée’s disappearance, numerous leads followed by North Vancouver RCMP investigators ultimately led nowhere. In fact, the evidence they uncovered led to more questions than answers.
Among the mysteries, police learned that in April 1994, the Masée’s took a secret trip to the Cayman Islands. On August 10, 1994, the day before they were last seen, the Masée’s were to meet a millionaire investor at the then-popular Trader Vic’s restaurant in downtown Vancouver. That meeting never happened. Of greater concern, a search of the Masée’s home revealed zap straps.
“The evidence surrounding the disappearance of Nick Masée Sr. and Lisa Masée was never quite sufficient to lead us to say conclusively that they vanished because they were victims of a crime,” said North Vancouver RCMP Sgt. DeVries. “The circumstances were mysterious. Some of the details were concerning. But the facts did not allow us to determine conclusively if they had been kidnapped, or murdered, or the victims of some other crime.”
“Although the particulars are unclear, investigators do believe the couple fell victim to a crime,” said DeVries. “Based on a consideration of the length of time that has passed, on our inability to uncover any evidence verifying the Masée’s are still alive, and in light of the concerning circumstances surrounding their disappearance, we are affirming our position in this case. We presume Nick Masée Sr. and Lisa Masée to be deceased, and that their deaths were the result of a criminal act.”
Nick Masée Jr. and Tanya Masée Van Ravenzwaaij are making an effort to re-ignite interest in the case. They announced on Tuesday that they are offering a $50,000 reward for information in the case.