How Did Stewart McLean Die? Missing Virgin River Star's Possible Cause of Death and Where His Body Was Found

Stewart McLean's remains were found in Lions Bay, British Columbia, after the Virgin River actor was reported missing and police said evidence suggested he may have been the victim of homicide, CBC reported. PEOPLE later confirmed that Canada's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said McLean's remains were identified on Friday, 22 May 2026, one day after investigators first said they believed the 45-year-old may have been killed.

Search Efforts

McLean, who also appeared in Murder in a Small Town, Happy Face and Arrow, was last seen at his residence in Lions Bay on Friday, 15 May 2026, according to CBC and the Squamish RCMP. The missing person report was filed on Monday, 18 May 2026, and the case escalated quickly after investigators uncovered evidence that led them to hand the matter to IHIT.

The area around Lions Bay became the focus of a growing search effort over several days. Lions Bay Search and Rescue said it was tasked with assisting on 20 May 2026, while CBC reported that police and search teams were active near McLean's home, the nearby train tracks and surrounding waters as they tried to establish what happened after he was last seen.

IHIT Cpl. Esther Tupper told PEOPLE that investigators were working to collect and analyse evidence, review CCTV footage and interview witnesses in order to build a timeline of McLean's activities before 15 May 2026. CBC and IHIT also said police were working closely with the BC Coroners Service and integrated forensic identification officers as part of the effort to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.

Global News reported that the remains were found in the Lions Bay area, although police have not publicly disclosed the exact location. IHIT has said the disappearance is believed to be an isolated incident, while continuing to ask for help from anyone who may have information about McLean or his final movements.

Lucas Talent Tribute

The update came one day after police announced that McLean was believed to have been the victim of homicide. CBC said Squamish RCMP uncovered evidence that prompted the change in the investigation, and officers began treating the case as a homicide inquiry while still searching for answers about the actor's final hours.

McLean's death was later confirmed by Lucas Talent Inc. in a Facebook statement shared by talent agent Jodi Caplan. The message, quoted by PEOPLE and The Hollywood Reporter, said it was with great sadness that the agency said goodbye to its beloved client, Stew McLean, adding that Caplan had worked with him for more than 10 years and describing him as dedicated, professional, eager and endlessly funny.

The statement also said many casting directors had reached out with condolences, with each message reflecting how warmly McLean was regarded by colleagues in the industry. His career had stretched across Canadian film and television work, with credits that made him a familiar face to viewers of streaming dramas and genre series alike.

McLean's television credits included Virgin River, where he appeared in season seven as a barfly, as well as Murder in a Small Town, Happy Face, Arrow, Supernatural and The 100, according to reporting from PEOPLE, LiveNow Fox and Us Weekly. Those credits helped establish him as a steady working actor rather than a household name, but one with a long list of screen appearances over the past decade.

Police have not confirmed a cause of death, and they have not said whether any suspects have been identified. For now, the case remains focused on reconstructing McLean's final movements and establishing how a missing person investigation in Lions Bay escalated so quickly into a homicide inquiry.

Search teams continued to treat the matter as a developing investigation, with officials still gathering evidence and asking the public to come forward if they had seen McLean after 15 May 2026. In a case that moved from missing person report to homicide probe within days, investigators are now left with the slower and more difficult task of fitting together the final pieces.