Scottish cameras have captured one of this region's most infamous unsolved cases.
Filmmaker and author Steven Scouller is the staff documentarian for Police Scotland, the national law enforcement agency in the northern United Kingdom. During his day-job, he preserves evidence in easy-use formats primarily for long-term cases that might need many investigators coming and going over years. During his freelance time, he writes true-crime books and makes true-crime documentary films.
"I came across the case of missing Canadian girl Madison Scott doing online research," he said. "I felt this connection, an emotional reaction, for Madison's family. I wanted to do something."
Scouller came to Scott's hometown of Vanderhoof this week. He attended the annual Madison Scott Poker Ride, held annually to raise money and awareness for the investigation into her disappearance in 2011.
Scott's family declined to directly comment on Scouller's presence but did confirm their appreciation for his interest and their intent to work with him closely because of his unique production style. By now, they are used to media attention and their personal story being made public.
"I'm going to put the Scott family at the front of this project, always," Scouller said. "I'm not a filmmaker coming in here with an agenda of my own, or an agenda from a news show or a magazine. I have this background in the policing world, more of an academic background about investigations, so I want to get all the facts out into the public domain based on what the Scott family wants and what the investigators want. I'm going to be governed by them. They are my boss in filming and editing. The obvious point is to make an audio-visual document that will help get Maddy home safe, not get in the way of resolution."
He was able to witness, camera in hand, the public response on the second anniversary of Scott's disappearance at picturesque Hogsback Lake near Vanderhoof. That public campsite is where she was last seen at about 3 a.m. on May 28, 2011 during a large outdoor party. The poker ride event is designed to draw people to the same spot in the hopes of someone spotting a clue.
This year, according to organizers, about 200 quads, 80 horses and 60 walkers were out on the Hogsback Lake trails.
Scott is described as a 20-year-old Caucasian female, five-foot-four, 170 pounds with ginger hair.
She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jean Capri pants.
She was driving an off-white early 1990s model F-150 pickup truck and she had a two-tone blue tent. Both were found almost immediately upon her disappearance being reported. No other information has been publicly disclosed as to what might have happened following her last confirmed sighting.
Anyone with information about Scott's whereabouts is asked to contact the Vanderhoof RCMP at 250-567-2222 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
For more information on the event and the ongoing search, visit www.madisonscott.ca, the Help Find Madison Scott Facebook page or call 250-567-0923.
