MISSING: Nick & Lisa MASEE (1994) - Vancouver, BC
By S.M.Published 07/24/20Nick and Lisa Masee
Missing since August 11, 1994Vancouver, British ColumbiaLisa met Nick Masee in 1984, when she was a 29-year-old hairdresser at Yakoi Hair Design on Cambie Street in Vancouver. Nick, an account director at the Bank of Montreal, was one of her clients. They eventually got married and lived in a house in North Vancouver. It was the second marriage for both of them.
In January 1994, at 55 years old, Nick retired from the Bank of Montreal after a 35-year career. He was also serving as a director of Turbodyne Technologies Inc., a California-based company that traded on the Vancouver Stock Exchange. In an affidavit filed in 2001, Nick's daughter said he was a very open person who "enjoyed sharing details of what was happening in his life and work with others."
Nick and Lisa were well known in Vancouver’s Howe Street crowd. They often travelled to Hawaii, the Cayman Islands, and the Netherlands. Although he made about $85,000 a year, Nick was known to have had savings and was considered a "sophisticated guy." Both he and Lisa had passports from different countries.
It would seem Nick and Lisa were happy and successful, but those who knew them began to believe they were acting strange. First, it was the trip to the Cayman Islands. In April, without warning, Nick and Lisa took off to set up a bank account with $50,000 worth of stock. They drew up wills.
Most concerning was the call Nick made to his daughter, who was living in Holland, to say that he likely wouldn’t be able to call her on her birthday. Nick didn’t disclose where he was at the time and didn’t offer any other explanation.
Then, on August 10, 1994, Nick and Lisa told several people they were going to Trader Vic’s – a popular Polynesian restaurant located at the Bayshore Inn in Coal Harbour. Nick was planning to discuss a $10 million business deal with an investor whose identity remains unknown 26 years later.
According to one of Nick’s business associates, Nick had said the investor was going to send a limousine to pick up the Masees at their North Vancouver home. Nothing else is known about the meeting. Nobody showed up to the restaurant or called to cancel – another sign that something wasn’t right. Nick would have called. According to a 1995 news report by CBC, a witness said they saw Nick and Lisa next door, at the Westin Bayshore's Garden Lounge, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Nick was wearing a jogging suit, and they split a bottle of wine. The details of what happened after are unknown.
August 11, 1994
On the morning of August 11 – Lisa’s 39th birthday – she made two calls from Nick’s cell phone. One call was to her boss, and the other to one of Nick’s associates. She said they would be out of town for a few days. They were never heard from again.
Within a week, Lisa’s sister went to check on the Masees at their home. Nick’s car was in the driveway. The front door was closed but unlocked. The alarm system was disabled, which her sister says was extremely out of character. Their cat was inside the house, along with their passports. Two zip ties were discovered at the entrance of the home.
According to a 2001 letter filed in court by the RCMP, two theories were being investigated at the time: that Lisa & Nick were the victims of foul play, or that they had orchestrated their own disappearance. Some people believe Nick and Lisa are in the witness protection program.
There is no evidence to support any theory about the disappearance of Nick and Lisa Masee. In July 2019, Nick’s children and the North Vancouver RCMP held a press conference calling for any information about the couple’s whereabouts. The reward for information was raised to $50,000, and although there have been no new leads in the case, investigators say they believe Nick & Lisa were killed for reasons unknown. Nick’s children and Lisa’s family are desperate for answers.
Anyone with information, however insignificant it might seem, is being asked to contact the North Vancouver RCMP.
2019 Press Conference
Physical Characteristics & Details:
Contact Information:
Anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they think it is, is urged to contact North Vancouver RCMP investigators at 604-985-1311.
Map: Monteray Avenue & Delmar Court
Further Reading: http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Photos+Remembering+Trader/8140346/story.html
http://spacing.ca/vancouver/2012/09/19/restaurants-that-changed-vancouver-trader-vics/
The Vancouver Sun | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 05 Dec 1991, Thu • Page 2
Surrey Leader | Surrey, British Columbia | 19 Mar 1995, Sun • Page 2
The Vancouver Sun | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 27 Aug 1994, Sat • Page 4
The Province | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 13 Aug 2000, Sun • Page 16
The Province | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 03 Oct 2001, Wed • Page 1
The Vancouver Sun | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 04 Oct 2001, Thu • Page 23
Photo of Trader Vic’s: from the collection of Mimi Payne Arkivatropika.com
Interior photo of Trader Vic’s: Government of British Columbia 1961
Press conference photo: Ben Nelms/CBC
https://evelazarus.com/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-nick-and-lisa-masee/
https://evelazarus.com/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-nick-and-lisa-masee/