Viswa Vanapalli
In February 2018, a young Ryan Shtuka vanished into thin air after spending the evening with friends at a party in Alberta, Canada. The ensuing search faced many obstacles, including very few leads, and over time, inclement weather. The investigation into Ryan’s disappearance is one of the stories featured on Paramount+’s ‘Never Seen Again.’ The viewers learn more about his parents and their efforts to find their son.
Ryan Shtuka Unexpectedly Disappeared Following a Party
Ryan Shtuka was born in March 1997 to Heather and Scott Shtuka. The young man was based out of Beaumont in Alberta, Canada, and loved ones described him as an intelligent, sarcastic, and funny person who was always around. At the time of the incident, Ryan had been living in British Columbia and worked at a ski resort in the village of Sun Peaks there.
Ryan headed to a friend’s house somewhere on Burfield Drive in Sun Peaks just hours before he was last seen. Then 20 years old, he left the party at around 2 am on February 17, 2018. It was believed that Ryan was heading home, but he didn’t show up to work the next day, and there had been no activity on his cell phone or social media. The worried family quickly reported him missing and mounted an extensive search for him.
Ryan Shtuka’s Case Remains Unsolved as He is Still Missing
The family of Ryan Shtuka stated they weren’t sure of his state of mind when or how drunk he was when he left the party. The authorities found no leads that led them to believe Ryan left Sun Peaks, so they urged the residents to check their garages, sheds, and unlocked vehicles for any sign of him. However, Ryan was nowhere to be found, leaving loved ones with more questions than answers.
As days turned into weeks, Ryan’s family continued to look for him in the area. Heather mentioned in March 2018 that, barring a few days in the beginning, all searches were organized by her or Scott. She added, “Not one of us has been a search and rescue expert, never even knew how to do any of this stuff. So, to begin with, it was a huge learning curve for all of us, and painfully each day, we learned what we could be doing better. So even though we’ve touched every part of this resort, how well have we really touched it? What were we searching for at the time?”
Furthermore, the terrain of the area, coupled with limited information about where Ryan could have gone, made it difficult to search for him. The quest for his whereabouts continued until the winter snow that year. In February 2019, loved ones headed to Sun Peaks to honor Ryan’s memory. At the time, Heather said, “We didn’t go up just as grieving parents because we’re not. We have this ambiguous loss, so we can’t quite hope, and we can’t quite grieve. We’re in this netherland, and there’s no way of knowing when that will ever change for us.”
As the years passed, the authorities maintained that the investigation was open, but there have been few leads to track down and no developments in the case. However, Ryan’s family has continued their search for him despite the passage of time and has maintained they would not be slowing down. In June 2021, the authorities returned for another search in Sun Peaks. Heather and Scott were in regular contact with the police, and the mother said it was the first organized search for Ryan since 2018.
Ryan’s family has continued traveling to Sun Peaks every year and has taken part in a candlelight vigil and a ski run at the annual memorial in February 2022. In February 2024, the tradition continued, with it being the sixth anniversary of Ryan’s disappearance. The family hosted a candlelight vigil and has taken to doing things that Ryan enjoys so as to create memories that are not just of grief but of joy and celebrating things that he was fond of.
As of writing, there is a $15,000 reward for any information leading to the recovery of Ryan, who’s 6 feet tall with a 180lbs lean build and has the combination of blond hair with brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a burgundy ball cap, a gray-white shirt, a blue coat, and dark jeans. So, even though it’s been over six years, if you have any relevant details, please do not hesitate to call Kamloops RCMP at 1- 250-828-3000 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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