A B.C. man who went missing nearly 15 years ago, while facing multiple sexual abuse allegations, has been declared dead by the court – which found he likely died when a fire engulfed the airplane hangar where he was last seen.
Last week, a judge determined that it was more likely than not that Vernon Martin died in the fire in Prince George on Dec. 19, 2009, making a declaration that will allow 16 life insurance policies valued at millions of dollars to be paid out.
Two days before Martin was last seen, he was confronted by members of his family with multiple allegations that “he had engaged in sexual misconduct with male members of the extended family, approximately 20 years before, when the family members were teenagers,” according to the B.C. Supreme Court decision.
His family members told the court that Martin “did not deny the allegations but attempted to explain …