Second set of human remains found on rural property confirmed as missing man

A missing man’s remains were found on a rural property near Smiths Falls in a complex investigation where police have already confirmed another set of remains and charged four people.

On Wednesday, officials said they found the remains of Robert Lambert, who would be 83, of Montague Township who has been missing for almost eight years.

He was found on the same property where investigators found the remains of another man who was also missing in the area.

“Locating Robert Lambert brings us one step closer to providing answers to a family that has waited eight years,” OPP Detective Inspector Marty McConnell, CIB, said. “Our focus remains on following the evidence and conducting a thorough investigation. While we understand the community’s desire for answers, it is too early to speculate, and not all questions can be answered at this time.”

Lambert moved to Canada in 2004 to marry his fiancée, Cathy. Police say the pair lived a happy life in Smiths Falls before Cathy passed away in 2016. He had no biological family nearby and was left alone.

Leading up to his disappearance, he needed help to travel and was taking medication on a regular basis.

The last time he was seen was July 2018, but he wasn’t reported missing until November 30 of that year.

Two missing men found on the same property

Ontario Provincial Police have been carrying out an extensive search of a large treed property on Kelly Jordan Road northeast of Smiths Falls.

The public first heard about the operation last year when officers confirmed they found remains on the property that belonged to Robbie Thompson, who would be 36, and went missing in 2023.

Mark Fenton, 42, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. He is the fourth person to be arrested in connection with Thompson’s death; police have also charged Christopher Fenton, 48, Erin Mackie, 40, both from Montague Township and Joshua Belfiori, 34, from Kingston, with one count of first-degree murder each.

Officials have not revealed a link between Lambert and Thompson, if any, and have not laid charges in connection with the death of Lambert.

In several instances, police carried out searches for Thomson in connection with another missing persons case from the area, Lawrence Bertrim, who would now be 45.

“These cases, even that of Robbie Thomson, remain ongoing investigations,” OPP east region media relations officer Erin Craton previously detailed. “While we do not believe they are directly connected, we know some of the individuals may have known each other or shared social circles.”