Steven Bacon has been charged with first degree murder in relation to the 2017 death of 16-year old Makayla Chang of Nanaimo.
RCMP announced the charge on Wednesday. No court date has been set for Bacon’s first appearance on the murder charge.
Makayla, 16, was reported missing in March 2017. Her body was found in May of that year.
In the days after her disappearance, hundreds of tips came into the Nanaimo RCMP. Search and rescue personnel searched outdoor spaces, including Colliery Dam Park and Cat Stream Park.
Makayla was a petite five-foot-one, weighed 110 pounds and had dyed red hair. She was typically active on social media and was part of a group who spent time together at a local restaurant.
Friends held a public vigil for Makayla in Maffeo Sutton Park in May 2017.
The charge follows a three-year investigation by Nanaimo RCMP’s serious crime unit.
In August of last year, RCMP asked the public to help find Bacon. That resulted in his arrest in September of 2019 in Fredericton, N.B. on unrelated charges, police said in a Wednesday statement.
“Makayla’s family, and the community of Nanaimo and of Vancouver Island as a whole, have been greatly affected by the loss of this young life. Hopefully, this charge can assist with providing answers and bringing a degree of resolution to Makayla’s family,” said Const. Gary O’Brien.
Nanaimo RCMP thanked those who assisted in the investigation, including citizens, businesses, and various investigative and police agencies throughout Canada.
Police said they will not be making any other comments or releasing any more information because the matter is now before the court.