Helmet and cell phone found: New evidence discovered in case of missing St. Thomas man

New personal items belonging to Kyle Hancock have been found, but the St. Thomas, Ont. man remains missing since early August.

In the past two weeks, the bike helmet he wore was discovered in a Central Elgin cornfield. The next day, approximately 2,000 metres west, his cell phone was located in a field at the corner of Fairview Avenue and Southdale Line in St. Thomas.

“We're very concerned for his well being,” said Scott Hancock, Kyle’s father. “We just want to know if he's alive.”

On Wednesday, St. Thomas police officers were joined by volunteers from London Search and Rescue as they searched fields and areas in a radius of more than one concession.

“Our resources only allow us to search a certain amount of area especially with the time and the daylight hours that we have,” explained Samantha Wakefield, corporate communications coordinator with the St. Thomas Police Service (STPS).

St. Thomas police were joined by London Search and Rescue as they hunt in the southeast end of the city for missing St. Thomas, Ont. man Kyle Hancock on Nov. 22, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

She added, “We are back out searching areas in that vicinity that we weren't able to continue our search in the last time. Having London Search and Rescue assist us today will allow us to fully search those additional areas.”

With OPP officers involved in a search in Oxford County, the STPS aided their colleagues by searching a farmer’s field in Central Elgin, Ont. in Nov. 10, 2023.

They began searching the cornfield when an E-bike belonging to Hancock was found by farmer Bill Walters. He had to put his harvest on hold while police searched the area.

“We held off for eight or 10 days and allowed the police to do the work that they had to do,” said Walters. “We went back in and harvested the rest of the corn in the area and we did run across a helmet that was suspicious in the field. We've now tilled the field and as far as we know there's nothing more that we can find or locate.”

Two members of the Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue team aid London Search and Rescue and St. Thomas Police in the search for missing St. Thomas, Ont. man Kyle Hancock on Nov. 22, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

While police haven’t disclosed what new evidence has been retrieved, CTV News London has learned that a cellphone belonging to Hancock was found on Nov. 11.

While the ground search continues, Hancock’s parents have carried on with hopes of finding their son.

They have visited regional communities that have Men’s Missions. They are putting up posters after learning that homeless men often travel to other jurisdictions when missions become full.

“We've gone to Tillsonburg, Woodstock, Kitchener, Wallaceburg, Chatham and London,” said Bonnie Hancock, Kyle’s mother. “We don't know where he is and we're just trying to find him.” 

A St. Thomas police officer takes a photo during of potential evidence in the search for missing St. Thomas, Ont. man Kyle Hancock on Nov. 22, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)