A Young Man Disappears After Winning $1-Million On The Lottery

In the spring of 2025, Joshua Saulteaux was a 25 year old man from Whitefish Lake First Nation, a First Nations reserve in Alberta, Canada. Those who knew Joshua best describe him as kind and grounded, a young man who cared deeply for his friends, his family, and his community.

That April, while stopping by a small convenience store in his hometown, Joshua decided on a whim to try his luck with a scratch card. It was an impulsive choice—one he could never have known was about to change the course of his life.

Against all odds, as he scratched away the silver coating, Joshua realised he had won the jackpot: $1,000,000. For a small-town young man who still lived at home, the moment was almost unreal. It felt like a turning point, a chance to build a better life for himself and for those he loved.

The moment was immortalised in a photograph, Joshua smiling proudly as he held up the winning ticket. Yet what was meant to preserve one of the happiest days of his life would, only weeks later, become a haunting reminder of how swiftly fortune can give way to tragedy.

One of the first things Joshua chose to do with his newfound fortune was to purchase an RV trailer of his own. With no desire to stray far from home, he parked it beside his mother’s house—gaining a sense of independence while still remaining close to the people he loved.

Unfortunately, in the weeks following Joshua’s win, those close to him recall that he began to express a growing sense of unease. Whether this stemmed from paranoia or an instinctive feeling that something was wrong remains unclear.

Morin, a close friend of Joshua’s, later stated that as news of the win spread, unfamiliar faces began to appear around him, and Joshua gradually started associating with a crowd that concerned those who knew him best.

On May 5th 2025, Joshua told his mother something that chilled her to the bone. He said he believed people were after him and feared they might try to harm him. Though he never explained who he meant, he took the precaution of hiding his mobile phone—containing all of his banking information—inside her home.

By the following day, Joshua was nowhere to be found.

When family members went to check on his trailer, they were met with an eerie stillness. His belongings were all there, untouched—but Joshua was gone. Then came a discovery that would send shockwaves through the entire community: blood inside the trailer, enough to suggest that something violent, and possibly fatal, had occurred.

Joshua’s loved ones immediately banded together to search for him. When he failed to turn up by the next day, he was officially reported missing to the police.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) launched an extensive air and ground search, deploying drones and cadaver dogs in an effort to locate Joshua. Despite these efforts, neither Joshua nor any trace of his belongings was found.

Investigators conducted interviews with more than 60 individuals in connection with the case, yet no suspects were ever publicly identified in his disappearance.

Joshua’s family has since voiced deep frustration with the way the investigation was handled, alleging that the RCMP waited two full days before examining the trailer. They believe that delay may have cost investigators critical forensic evidence—evidence that could have provided answers about what truly happened to Joshua.

Two primary theories have emerged in the case. The first is that Joshua voluntarily staged his own disappearance and left of his own accord. His family firmly rejects this possibility, emphasising how close he was to his mother and insisting he would never willingly subject her to such anguish.

The second—and most widely accepted—theory is that Joshua was deliberately targeted because of his lottery winnings. The presence of blood inside his RV makes this possibility difficult to dismiss.

More than five months have now passed since Joshua Saulteaux was last seen or heard from. His disappearance has taken a profound toll not only on his family and friends, but on the entire Whitefish Lake First Nation community.

Joshua’s case has also reopened longstanding wounds surrounding the systemic failures in investigations involving Indigenous people. His family has stated that cases like Joshua’s often lack the urgency and resources afforded to non-Indigenous victims.

As of January 2026, the case remains open. Someone knows what happened inside that RV, and the RCMP continues to urge anyone with information to come forward, including through anonymous tips.