Lisa Marie Young was a resident of Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Lisa and her friends went to the Jungle Cabaret (now Evolve) on June 29, 2002, to celebrate Canada Day and her friend Dallas Hulley’s 21st birthday. Despite the fact that Lisa and Dallas had previously dated, they remained good friends, and Lisa trusted him.
Lisa and her friends decided to go to a house party nearby after the club closed at 2:30 a.m. A stranger approached them in the parking lot and offered them a ride to the party. Lisa and her friends agreed and climbed into the man’s red Jaguar, driving away.
After leaving the first party, the group went to another house party near Cathers Lake, where some other friends were grilling. However, because Lisa was a vegetarian, there was nothing she could eat there. Lisa agreed when the man in the red Jaguar offered to take her to a Subway restaurant. They arrived at the restaurant at 4 a.m.
Lisa called Dallas thirty minutes later to explain that instead of going to Subway, the man took her to another party where she didn’t know anyone. Dallas claimed Lisa told him, “I don’t understand what’s going on.” This guy isn’t going to take me back. We’re just sitting in a Bowen Road driveway, and he won’t bring me back.”
A little while later, Lisa sent her last text to Dallas, which said, “Come get me, they won’t let me leave.”
Dallas and their friends were too drunk to come pick Lisa up, so he advised her to take a cab home.
Lisa was never seen or heard from again after that. Her phone’s last signal was detected at Departure Bay in Nanaimo, but her phone was never found.
Lisa lived right next door to her parents and used to pay them daily visits. She had asked her parents for help in relocating to a new apartment on Sunday, June 30th. When she did not arrive on time, her parents realized something was seriously wrong.
Don and Joanne were worried and scared, so they tried calling Lisa several times, but she didn’t answer, which was unusual for her. They reported her missing the same day, but the police did not immediately launch an investigation, claiming there was no evidence of foul play. Family members believe the police were hesitant because Lisa was half-Indigenous.
Lisa’s parents went to the media after she failed to show up for her first shift at the call center on Tuesday, and a story about her disappearance was published. A few weeks later, the RCMP stated that they suspected Lisa of foul play.
The driver of the red Jaguar, Christopher William Adair, was found 6 hours away in Kelowna, British Columbia, about a month after Lisa was last seen.
Lisa, according to Christopher, got out of his car and walked away. Later, he changed his story and claimed that he dropped Lisa off at an unknown location and she got into a taxi.
Investigators arranged for Christopher and Lisa’s mother, Joanne, to meet. They asked her to hug him and then questioned Christopher about Lisa’s death. He allegedly replied, “I can’t.” I apologize.”
Christopher’s grandmother, a well-known realtor in Qualicum Beach, BC, owned the red Jaguar. However, she has since died. She threatened to sue anyone who accused her grandson of involvement in Lisa’s disappearance. She then allegedly sold the car and gave Christopher money to leave Nanaimo.
Even though the authorities discovered the red Jaguar after it had been sold, they discovered that it had been steam cleaned, and any evidence that might have been present had been destroyed.
The RCMP has identified Christopher, also known as “red jag guy,” as a person of interest in Lisa’s disappearance. He has a lengthy criminal record that includes theft, fraud, and assault. He lived in Edmonton before Lisa went missing and served a 90-day weekend sentence for assaulting his then-girlfriend. After that, he moved around the world, from Turkey to Japan, and he vanished as soon as his connection to Lisa’s case became public. His current location, however, is unknown.
Dallas Hulley, the last person to hear from Lisa, died in 2018 after being struck by a car. Joanne, Lisa’s mother, died in 2017 from kidney failure. Don and Lisa’s family are still working hard to raise awareness about her case. They hold vigils, post posters, and use billboards to remember her and seek answers.
