Overview

Masson was last seen on June 5, 1989, after checking into the Hat Motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta. According to investigators, he left the motel within a short period of checking in and never returned.

When weeks passed without contact, concern grew among those who knew him. However, because of his traveling lifestyle, it took time before the seriousness of his disappearance became apparent.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Michael Marvin Masson: The Unsolved 1989 Medicine Hat Homicide That Still Awaits Answers

The murder of Michael Marvin Masson remains one of Alberta’s long-standing unsolved homicide investigations. More than three decades after his body was discovered in a shallow roadside grave near Medicine Hat, no one has been charged, and investigators continue to seek information that could help solve the case.

Who Was Michael Marvin Masson?

Michael Marvin Masson was a 27-year-old construction worker from Saskatchewan who frequently traveled throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan for employment. Friends and acquaintances described him as someone who often worked temporary construction jobs and lived a transient lifestyle while following available work.

Disappearance

Masson was last seen on June 5, 1989, after checking into the Hat Motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta. According to investigators, he left the motel within a short period of checking in and never returned.

When weeks passed without contact, concern grew among those who knew him. However, because of his traveling lifestyle, it took time before the seriousness of his disappearance became apparent.

Discovery of His Body

On July 31, 1989, two boys discovered Masson’s decomposed remains in a shallow grave approximately 10 kilometers southeast of Medicine Hat.

Investigators determined that Masson had been shot execution-style before being buried. The shallow grave suggested an attempt to conceal the homicide, but exposure eventually led to the discovery of his remains.

The investigation immediately became a homicide case.

Investigation

Police spent months interviewing witnesses, tracing Masson’s movements, and attempting to determine who he had been with during his final hours.

Early reports indicated investigators struggled because few people came forward with information, making it difficult to reconstruct Masson’s final days. At one point, investigators reportedly even considered using forensic hypnosis on potential witnesses in hopes of recovering additional memories from those who may have encountered Masson shortly before his death.

Despite these efforts, the investigation eventually went cold.

Latest Investigation Information

As of the latest publicly available information:

1. The homicide remains unsolved.
2. No arrests have been announced.
3. No suspects have been publicly identified.
4. No charges have been filed.
5. The case is generally regarded as an active cold case rather than one that has been closed.
6. Publicly available records do not indicate that modern forensic breakthroughs, including genetic genealogy, have resulted in an arrest or significant public update in the investigation.

Cold case investigators routinely encourage anyone with new information—even details that may have seemed insignificant decades ago—to come forward, as advances in forensic science and investigative techniques can sometimes provide new leads years after a crime occurred.

Although little information has been publicly released since the original investigation, Michael Masson’s murder remains an open homicide that authorities have never solved.

Why the Case Still Matters

Michael Masson’s case illustrates the challenges investigators often face when homicide victims have transient lifestyles and limited documented movements before their deaths. Without witnesses or substantial forensic evidence, many investigations from the late 1980s remain unsolved.

His family has never received answers regarding who killed him or why.

Anyone with information about the homicide is encouraged to contact the investigating agency or submit anonymous information through Crime Stoppers.

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Facebook Post:
Michael Masson, a 27-year-old construction worker from Saskatchewan, was last seen at the Hat Motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta on June 5, 1989. His remains were found in a shallow grave about 10 kilometres outside the city on July 31, 1989. It’s a cold case that bothers Mathew Torgerson, who has tried to find out more information from Medicine Hat Police but has never had a reply. RCMP did not disclose cause of death, but one of the very few articles that mentions his murder, suggested that he’d been shot. “Nothing about calibre, nothing about him knowing people in the area, his case is never mentioned again after 1990. It’s as if he’s been forgotten,” says Mathew. If you have any information about Michael Masson’s murder, contact police at 403-529-8481 or leave a comment on this post.