Major crime unit takes over Melissa Harper disappearance

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation into the disappearance of Melissa Harper, an 18-year-old woman last known to be in Qualicum Beach, B.C., police said Tuesday.

Oceanside RCMP said Harper was reported missing on Oct. 21, 2026, the same day she was last contacted.

“The circumstances of her disappearance are suspicious,” Cpl. Alex Bérubé, a spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP, said in a news release. “For this reason, the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation.”

Police said Harper’s family shares their concern for her health and well-being. She has ties to both the Lower Mainland and Alberta, according to the RCMP.

Harper is described as five feet four inches tall and about 110 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact their local police or the VIIMCU information line at 250-380-6211. The full RCMP release is posted on the force’s website.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.