Victoria man declared dead by courts four years after disappearance

A Victoria man who vanished from his home in January 2022 has been legally presumed dead following a BC Supreme Court ruling, bringing some closure to a disappearance that has remained unsolved for more than four years.

Ian Indridi Milrose Indridson was 54 years old when he disappeared from his home on Hollywood Crescent on January 10th, 2022.

In a decision delivered in Victoria on September 28th of this year, Justice J. G. Morley granted an application brought forward by Indridson’s mother, Sharon Susanne Indridson, to have her son legally presumed dead.

The court established January 10th, 2022 as the presumed date of his death.

According to the ruling, Indridson had been living with his wife, Gloria Mendez Santa Anna, and their dog Willow at the time of his disappearance. He worked for the provincial government and was described as having close relationships with his family and community.

However, court documents reveal he had been experiencing severe anxiety related to a new job in the days leading up to his disappearance.

On January 9th, 2022, Indridson spoke with his mother twice by phone, telling her he was struggling with stress at work. She attempted to reassure him and discussed possible options with him.

Those conversations would be their last. His wife last saw him around 2 a.m. on January 10th, when she checked on him as he struggled with insomnia.

She later heard him interacting with their dog around 7 a.m., but never saw or heard from him again.

According to the court decision, Indridson left his wallet and cellphone at home before disappearing. He took a pair of boots and left behind a note that read, “I’m there for everyone in spirit.”

Despite extensive efforts to locate him, including a VicPD investigation, public appeals and the hiring of two private investigators, no information establishing his whereabouts was uncovered.

“This is a tragic case,” Justice Morley said at the outset of his oral reasons for judgment.

The judge found that the legal requirements under BC’s Presumption of Death Act had been met, including that Indridson had not been heard from since his disappearance and that there were reasonable grounds to believe he had died.

The court also heard that the declaration was necessary to resolve outstanding legal and financial matters, including shareholdings, life insurance policies and estate-related responsibilities.

The judge ordered that reasonable legal expenses incurred by Indridson’s mother and wife in the proceedings be paid from his estate.

The ruling does not establish what happened to Indridson after he left his home or the circumstances of his presumed death.

The September decision formally recognizes his presumed death for legal purposes, more than four years after his disappearance.