HUNTER: Disappearance, presumed murder of Belleville man cloaked in mystery
Calvin Vanness vanished on March 27, 2008, and cops continue to probe his puzzling disappearance
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BELLEVILLE — Most of the missing persons cases listed on police websites are historic in nature.
They are old and in many cases, except for the grieving families, largely forgotten. The notable exceptions are small towns like the burg where I grew up and others like it.
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Instead, myths build and tales take hold over a beer. The old boy kept his money in Beehive honey cans. He was a big-city gangster and they finally took care of him. The rumours often get worse.
Calvin Vanness was 65 years old when he vanished on March 27, 2008. The Belleville man was planning on visiting his brother with some moose meat. Then the retired Northern Telecom employee and grandfather simply vanished.
Nothing added up. There were rumours of drugs, a secret stash of cash and a multitude of other whispers.
In many small-town murders and disappearances, local yahoos hear their victim may not have liked banks and kept his fortune on his person or close at hand.
That may have been the case with Vanness. His brother told the Toronto Sun in 2008 that neither he nor Vanness liked banks. The victim didn’t have a credit card and paid for everything in cash.
His brother Alvin said Vanness kept a “little white bucket” in the trunk of his car filled with cash. On the day he vanished, Alvin believed his sibling may have had $18,000 in cash in the bucket to buy a boat and motor from someone in Big Gull Lake.
“Like I said, he didn’t believe much in banking,” said his brother. “I know one person who saw nothing but $100 bills stuffed in that bucket. So who’s to say?”
Cops never found the little white bucket that may have held enough riches for someone to kill. Vanness was also known to carry marijuana, but it has never been made clear whether it was for personal use or otherwise.
When Kingston cops found his 2004 four-door grey Pontiac Grand Prix, it was located at the Hwy. 38 carpool lot off Hwy. 401. The car was unique: It had black and red flame decals on the sides and front.
Detectives appeared to have a lot of information — including holdbacks — but the case has never come together. Sources said there are persons of interest and working theories.
One thing is certain: Someone other than Vanness drove his beloved car. Vanness did not smoke, but his vehicle smelled of burnt tobacco and there were butts in the ashtray.
“We are considering his disappearance highly suspicious at this time,” retired Belleville Police Det. Peter Goulah told the Toronto Sun in 2008. “This is very unusual for him to be out of touch with his friends and family for this amount of time … he was one to call family members on a daily basis.”
The missing man’s Palmer Rd. apartment in Belleville (across from my high school) didn’t appear disturbed. However, Vanness was a fastidious man and the lights and TV were on when cops checked.
Goulah added, “This has been an especially challenging case. It’s like he just up and vanished.”
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Cops believe Vanness was murdered. But his body has never been found. That provides little comfort for his grieving family.
Daily life marches on in small towns just as it does in our biggest metropolises. But because of the size and close relations, there is a fear that the killer is among them.
Until cops make an arrest, rumours, whispers and fears will persist.
The Ontario government is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
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