'Somebody out there knows what happened to Justin': Dozens search for missing Cape Breton man

Dozens of people joined a search for missing Cape Breton man Justin MacDonald near a highway exit on Monday morning.

MacDonald’s parents, who haven’t seen their 34-year-old son for more than three weeks, led the search,  which started at 10 a.m. off Exit 3 on Highway 125 in Leitches Creek, N.S.

"It's crushing. It's brutal. It's just one of those things when you don't know, and you have no answers. There's no words to really explain,” said Ken MacDonald, Justin’s father.

MacDonald has been missing since July 7. The Cape Breton Regional Police says he was last seen around 11 p.m. at the Irving gas station in North Sydney.

Monday's search focused on an area about six kilometers down the road from the gas station. Efforts to find MacDonald have already spread beyond his last known location.

Dozens of volunteers gather to help search for Justin MacDonald on July 29, 2024. (Source: Ryan MacDonald/CTV News Atlantic)

"Find a clue, find a piece of clothing, find something that might have put him in this area,” Ken MacDonald said on why Monday’s search location was chosen. “We've got to go from North Sydney to where the car was found."

MacDonald’s parents said their son has always been devoted to his siblings – who have disabilities – and to his dog, noting it’s not like him to disappear without telling anyone.

"Somebody out there knows what happened to Justin,” said Peggy MacDonald, Justin MacDonald’s mother. "He would never do it to his father and I. Somebody out there knows where he's at. Whether he met with foul play or not, we want his body back."

MacDonald is described as five-foot-nine, 240 pounds, with sandy blonde hair and green eyes.

Police continue to investigate.

Kenneth "Justin" MacDonald of North Sydney, N.S., is seen in this image provided by Cape Breton Regional Police Service.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.