DNA testing confirms emaciated dog doesn’t belong to missing B.C. man

Jim Barnes and his dog Murphy. (Courtesy: GoFundMe)

The emaciated golden retriever found during the search for Jim Barnes is not the missing B.C. man’s dog, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

The Fort St. John resident failed to return from a hunting trip with his golden retriever Murphy back in October – and while his pickup truck was located along a forest service road in the Chetwynd area, there was no sign of either Barnes or his dog.

The discovery of a similar-looking dog wandering near Fort St. John last fall – approximately 120 kilometres from Barnes' pickup – briefly promised a potential lead about the missing man’s whereabouts, but DNA testing has since proven the golden retriever is not Murphy.

The RCMP has already searched the area where the dog was located, and found nothing.

In a statement Wednesday, Cpl. Madonna Saunderson of the North District RCMP said the missing person investigation remains active.

“If you have any information on the whereabouts of James Barnes and Murphy, or saw them and the vehicle back in October, you are asked to call Chetwynd RCMP,” said Saunderson.

Barnes is described as a 28-year-old white man, 5′11″ tall, 201 lbs., with brown hair, brown eyes and a moustache. He was last seen wearing a TC Energy ball cap, a green or blue hoodie, and jeans.

Murphy is an 18-month-old male golden retriever with no collar.