Second person charged in homicide of Cape Breton man

SYDNEY, N.S. — A second person has been charged in the homicide of a Cape Breton man who has been missing for almost six months.

Cape Breton Regional Police arrested 36-year-old Ryan Joseph Pike on Friday and charged him with second-degree murder and robbery related to the death of 34-year-old Justin MacDonald.

MacDonald was last seen around 11 p.m. July 7, at an Irving gas station in North Sydney, N.S.

Police said in November that they were treating his disappearance as a homicide.

Earlier this month, police charged 38-year-old Mitchell George McPhee with MacDonald’s manslaughter, as well as robbery and assault.

Police said in a statement late Saturday night that no further details will be released as the investigation continues, and more charges and arrests are pending.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press