Mystery at Hogsback Lake: The Unexplained Disappearance and Death of Madison Scott
In May 2011, 20-year-old Madison Scott disappeared while camping at Hogsback Lake, just outside Vanderhoof, B.C. In 2023, her remains were discovered on a nearby property
In May 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced a major update in the case of Madison “Maddy” Scott, a 20-year-old woman from Vanderhoof, British Columbia, who had disappeared in 2011 while camping at Hogsback Lake, just outside Vanderhoof.
The announcement confirmed that human remains discovered on a property several kilometers from Hogsback Lake were identified as Scott’s. Although details about the discovery were limited due to the ongoing investigation, it is the first significant breakthrough in the case since Scott’s disappearance.
Madison Scott
Madison Scott, known as ‘Maddy’ to her friends, was born on April 29th, 1991. Maddy, her parents, Eldon and Dawn Scott, and siblings, Ben and Georgia, lived in Vanderhoof, British Columbia.
Maddy graduated from Nechako Valley Secondary School in 2009 and began working as an apprentice alongside her father, a heavy-duty mechanic at the family logging company. Described as social, outgoing, and energetic, Maddy loved being around people, riding dirt bikes, horseback riding, and spending time outdoors.
The town of Vanderhoof is quiet, surrounded by vast stretches of wilderness, which suited Maddy’s outdoor activities. However, just outside the town lies Highway 16, also known as The Highway of Tears. The 450km stretch of road has been given this name due to the staggering number of murders and disappearances that have taken place along that route since the 1970s.
Vanderhoof and The highway of Tears have been tragically linked due to numerous murders and disappearances thought to be connected with Highway 16, a long, desolate, and isolated area.
Party at Hogsback Lake
On Friday, May 27, 2011, Maddy and her friend, Jordi Bolduc, headed to Hogsback Lake, just outside Vanderhoof, British Columbia. The pair were attending a birthday party and had decided to camp at the lake so they could enjoy the night without having to drive home that night.
The lake has long been a spot for families during the day, with younger crowds gathering at night for parties, and that night was no different: around 50 people had also arrived with their camping gear, most of them locals between 18 and 25.
Madison and Jordi began to set up their tents when Madison realized she had forgotten some items, such as tent poles, and drove back home to collect them. The drive home was only 25km, and when she arrived, she briefly spoke with her mother. This would be the last time her family would ever see her.
At around 8:30 p.m., Maddy returned to Hogsback Lake with the items, set up her tent, and began to settle in. People continued to arrive at the lake for the party, whilst others began drinking. Around midnight, a fight at the party broke out, prompting many guests to leave. Maddy sent her dad a few text messages between 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., reassuring him she was safe and well.
At 1:30 a.m., Jordi decided to leave with her boyfriend and entered Maddy’s tent to ask if she wanted to leave as well. Maddy apparently didn’t want to leave her truck and tent behind; it is said that several other people offered Maddy a ride home, but she declined.
Eventually, even the party organizers left, leaving Maddy alone at the lake, though it is not clear if Maddy was aware of this at the time. The last confirmed sighting of Maddy was in her tent at around 2:45 a.m., and she was described as coherent and not intoxicated.
Disappearance
The next morning, around 8:30 a.m., Jordi returned to the lake to collect the belongings she had left behind before setting off for work. When she arrived, she noticed Maddy’s tent and truck nearby. The tent flap was open, and inside her sleeping bag had been pushed aside, but nothing else seemed to be disturbed.
Assuming Maddy had wandered off somewhere, Jordi left the campsite and went to work. Later that morning, other partygoers returned to clean up and also noticed Maddy’s tent and truck, but saw no sign of Maddy.
That evening, another party took place, one much larger than the first, that drew around 150 people, and conflicting witness statements say Maddy was seen at the party, though others, like her sister, say she wasn’t there.
Worry began to set in when Maddy did not respond to messages or calls, and her phone eventually ran out of battery. On May 29th, after two days without hearing from their daughter, Maddy’s parents headed out to the lake. Upon arriving at the lake, Eldon and Dawn found Maddy’s truck, which was unlocked and packed with her belongings; her tent was still at the site, only now it had been flattened.
Several of her belongings were still in the tent; however, her phone, truck keys, and the clothes she had been wearing that night were all missing. Eldon and Dawn searched the campsite, asking attendees if anyone had seen Maddy, but no one had.
On May 29th, Maddy’s parents filed a missing persons report with the police.
Search for Answers
The Scott family was well known in Vanderhoof, and Maddy was not someone who would disappear without first telling someone, so the police took the report seriously. The search began around Hogsback Lake, but there were no signs of a struggle in or around the tent, and witnesses reported nothing unusual about the night in question, noting that Maddy was acting normal and not intoxicated.
The search for Madison Scott became one of the most extensive searches for a missing person in British Columbia’s history, employing cadaver dogs, search teams, dive teams with infrared cameras, boats, helicopters, police horses, and scores of volunteers who scoured the forest.
Months and eventually years passed with investigators pursuing every lead. Partygoers were interviewed, with some taking polygraph tests. All tips were followed up on. Posters, billboards, websites, and social media campaigns helped to keep Maddy’s case in the media and public eye. Her family, along with the community, helped to organize fundraisers and annual events to keep her in the forefront of everyone's minds.
However, there were no real clues for investigators to follow; leads turned into dead ends; there were no viable suspects, material evidence, or even any real sightings. There have been many theories about what may have happened to Maddy, with police confirming that they believe foul play was involved.
A Grim Discovery
Twelve years after Maddy vanished, in May 2023, human remains were discovered on a rural property several kilometers from Hogback Lake. The remains were analyzed, and a coroner confirmed they belonged to Madison Scott.
The discovery, although painful, was a significant development in the case, and a search warrant at the property was granted. The family released a statement expressing a mixture of relief, but also a need for answers, and urged anyone with any information to come forward, offering a reward of $100,000 for any information leading to an arrest. As of 2025, the investigation is active and ongoing.
The investigation, as it remains open and active, is unable to divulge certain information to the public, as it may hinder the investigative efforts, so not much is known about the remains, such as how they were found or if a cause of death has been determined. We will continue to follow and update the case as information is made available.
Sources:
Judd, Amy. “B.C. woman’s family finds ‘some relief’ as remains found 12 years after disappearance.” Global News, 31 May 2023, https://globalnews.ca/news/9736286/madison-scott-family-statement/
“The Vanishing of Madison Scott.” faithlovehope findmaddy, Uploaded 8 January 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn0ROcjh7ys
“The Disappearance of Madison Scott | UNRESOLVED.” Dark Curiosities, Uploaded 6 June 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou3wt_ImUcA
“Missing Teen was HUNTED in the Canadian Woods.” That Chapter, Uploaded 1 March 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMU0AItmefI
What a mystery. At least the family could hopefully have some closure.