Runaway Youth: The Unusual Disappearance of Justin Pollari

Missing YouthOntarioMissing2000s
Written By SM
By: S.M. 
Last Updated: 05/01/20
Read the updated version of this story here (07/07/20).
JustinPollari3.jpeg

Runaway Youth:

The Unusual Disappearance of Justin Pollari

In 2001, Justin Pollari ran away. He was 14 years old. As a runaway youth, his case was not unique. The year he disappeared, there were 66,994 reports of missing children in Canada; 53,434 of those were classified as runaways. 

What makes Justin’s case unique is there has been no sign of him since he disappeared.

In 2018, 92% of all missing children reported in Canada were recovered within one week. Most children who voluntarily leave home make contact with family or friends within a short period of time. Some re-establish contact after they turn 18. 

Year after year, a single photo of Justin was distributed on a missing poster. Across Canada and south of the border, his face was plastered on public bulletin boards, transport trucks and billing envelopes. In the early 2000s, he was a familiar face among the missing children whose names and information filled the walls of grocery stores and post offices across Ontario. Still, even at a local level, media attention in his case was and is sparse.

After 19 years, he’s been gone longer than he was home. What was his plan? Did he have one? Did something go wrong?

The frustration of Justin’s case is the failure of the public, media and law enforcement in understanding a simple, crucial fact: a runaway child is still a missing child.

What little is known is the result of an apathetic investigation reflecting a distinct lack of interest in another runaway teen.

Age-progressed images showing Justin Pollari at age 20 (left) and at an unknown age (right)

Age-progressed images showing Justin Pollari at age 20 (left) and at an unknown age (right)

The Story of Justin Pollari

Justin Pollari grew up in the village of Desbarats. His parents divorced when he was an infant, and he lived with his dad, John, his stepmother, Janis McLeod, and her children in Hilton Beach, Ontario – a remote island village near Sault Ste. Marie. In 2001, he was 14 years old, and often wore his dyed black hair in a Mohawk style. He had two earrings in his left ear. According to people who knew him, Justin was troubled – he struggled with his parents’ divorce, he had learning problems and strongly disliked school. 

The St. Joseph Island Bridge, near Hilton Beach, Ont., leading to the Trans-Canada Highway. Source: My Algoma

The St. Joseph Island Bridge, near Hilton Beach, Ont., leading to the Trans-Canada Highway. Source: My Algoma

On the evening of December 7, 2001, Justin came home angry and upset. His lip was cut. It was clear he’d been in a fight. One source reported he admitted to the fight and later denied it. At one point, he lunged at his dad. 

Within a few hours, Justin was gone. He’d taken his skateboard and his backpack with a few clothes. He was last seen wearing dark blue or black baggy pants, a dark blue or black hooded sweater, and a black toque over his six inch Mohawk. He was wearing red or burgundy running shoes. The temperature that evening was -4 °C.

 

A map of Hilton Beach, Ont., where Justin Pollari lived.

Justin was not a habitual runaway. The only other time he’d left home, he’d gone to a friend’s house and returned the next day. There’s little coverage about his disappearance, and no way of knowing what drove him to leave for good - or if that was even his plan. Nobody who knew Justin saw him again. 

In the first few years following his disappearance, there were several reported sightings of Justin. Some were more promising than others; at a shelter in Toronto, someone matching his description introduced himself as “J”. One theory is that he may have travelled to Michigan – St. Joseph Island, where Hilton Beach is located, is metres from the U.S. border. The bridge in Sault Ste. Marie is the only border crossing for over 1,100 km.

Source: Shellbrook Chronicle, Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. Fri, Feb 10, 2006. Page 19.

Source: Shellbrook Chronicle, Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. Fri, Feb 10, 2006. Page 19.

Justin’s family believed he was heading toward Toronto. His parents and grandparents made several seven-hour trips to Toronto to search for Justin. They scoured homeless shelters, aimlessly searched the streets and talked to homeless youth. They hung out at punk rock concerts and skate parks. Each search was unsuccessful. In a 2003 Toronto Star article, his parents expressed their frustration with the apparent ease with which children can sustain some semblance of a life thanks to the shelter system. They believe the apparent glamour of Toronto street living was what lured Justin there.

“It’s created a lifestyle,” McLeod said.

A gas station attendant in Sault Ste. Marie, 67 km from Hilton Beach, thought he spotted Justin getting into a Quik X truck around the time of his disappearance. According to Ed Pellerin, an Ontario Provincial Police detective constable, the sighting wasn’t reported until mid-2005, nearly four years later.

On May 16, 2005, the investigation into Justin Pollari’s disappearance was re-opened by the East Algoma O.P.P. in conjunction with the Criminal Investigation Branch. A “huge” area was searched by the Emergency Response Team and Canine Unit. Forensics personnel also completed an on-site investigation. 

On May 20, 2005, police announced the 4 and a half day search of St. Joseph Island had concluded with negative results.

Justin Pollari’s family used to carry a briefcase containing photos of Justin to hand out in their searches. They also carried letters and drawings he left behind, which they discovered after his disappearance. In one letter, dated three months before he left, Justin wrote to his Grade 9 teacher: 

“I really hate school and the government. At class I plan on trying until I get sick of it, then I'll give up and drop out when I'm 16.” 

Runaway Youth

In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 31,003 youth in Canada were reported as runaways. While the number of cases of reported runaway youth has decreased since Justin Pollari vanished, the characteristics of at-risk children remain the same. 

A missing poster in Truck News from April 2009 shows how Justin may have looked at age 20.

A missing poster in Truck News from April 2009 shows how Justin may have looked at age 20.

Most children run away when their home situation becomes intolerable due to violence, alcohol or drug abuse by a parent, neglect, peer pressure or fear of failure. According to the 2001 Annual Report on Canada's Missing Children, “Runaways did not perform well in school, often finding school an uncomfortable and frustrating experience. Most only completed Grade 9 before being suspended or expelled or before dropping out. Parents and teachers perceived them as troublesome and a behaviour problem in and out of the classroom.” The most current information outlined on MissingKids.ca, Canada’s missing children’s resource centre, echoes similar behavioural signs and risk factors for runaways: 

  • Youth who have difficulty making friends and/or are being bullied (at school or online)

  • Youth who are experiencing difficulty in school

  • Major changes (e.g., divorce, remarriage, moving, changing schools) 

Justin certainly fit at least some of the criteria for at-risk youth. However, it doesn’t account for the length of time he’s been missing. If Justin was in fact involved in a fight that night, was he afraid? If he was experiencing any other difficulties at home or at school - or if there were other darker reasons behind his prolonged disappearance - the information has never been made public. 

Online forums reveal much speculation about his fate.

Many people believe the passage of time means he’s likely long deceased, while others think Justin made it to Toronto or another large city and is lost among the 235,000 people who experience homelessness in Canada in any given year. According to Fred Victor, a Toronto-based social service charitable organization, 75% of people experiencing homelessness struggle with a mental illness.

There are locals who believe there are people in St. Joseph Island and Sault Ste. Marie who know what happened to Justin - and the location of his remains.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press,Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mon, Apr 21, 2003. Page 83.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press,Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mon, Apr 21, 2003. Page 83.

The forums are filled with personal anecdotes of long lost relatives, pointing to public figures like Neil Hope to highlight the fact that some people choose to lose contact with family and friends, sometimes for decades. Perhaps the answer is one that is likely the most difficult to accept: Justin Pollari could have simply decided to stay missing.

With all cases of runaway youth, the decision to run away does not imply the decision to stay missing.

In 2018, the OPP re-opened its investigation into Justin Pollari’s disappearance. The age-progressed images have also been released. Maybe you recognize him. Maybe you can help.

Justin Pollari’s family is still desperate to know what happened to him. He would be 33 years old this year.

Without any solid indication of his movements that night in 2001, and no evidence to lead the case in any one direction, there’s simply no way of knowing what really happened to Justin Pollari. In the age of social media, there is no excuse - we can’t give up the search for answers.

A poem written by Justin Pollari’s family in 2019. Source: @CdnChildProtect, Twitter.

A poem written by Justin Pollari’s family in 2019. Source: @CdnChildProtect, Twitter.

Additional Details: 

  • Date of Birth: January 31, 1987. 

  • AKA: Justin Johnathon Pollari; "Woody."

  • Some agencies list his height as 5’ 11”. He weighed approximately 140 lbs.

  • He has blue eyes and a dimple in his chin.

  • He wore his hair in a six-inch Mohawk style which may be dyed black or blond.

  • Jewelry: He had two earrings in left ear and wore heavy chain necklaces.

  • He may have been wearing wooden name tag with the inscription of "WOODY".

  • Justin was an avid skateboarder and may frequent areas where the sport is practiced. 

  • He may go by the nickname “Joe.”

  • Clothing: Last seen wearing black toque headwear, black baggy pants, a black hooded

    sweatshirt (size medium), jeans and red running shoes.

  • Had a dark coloured knapsack and was carrying a skateboard and flashlight. May be wearing
    a wooden name tag with the inscription of "WOODY".

If you have any information regarding Justin Pollari’s disappearance or whereabouts, please contact any of the following: 

Submit an ANONYMOUS tip through Crime Stoppers:

https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/tips

Call 1-800-222-8477(TIPS)


Missing Kids:

Call 1-866-KID-TIPS(543-8477)

Visit www.missingkids.ca 


The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): 

1-888-310-1122
1-888-310-1133 (TTY)

Anywhere in Ontario, 24-hour toll free


If it’s an emergency, call 9-1-1. Don’t wait.
SM
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