UPDATED: Assistance Requested: Help Us Identify Member

On October 7, 2014, Ric Hall posted the photograph of an unknown RCMP member photographed with Rene Castellani in November 1966.

This member has now been identified as John K. Paterson Reg. #24696.

According to John , “I was a brand new Constable ( just a few weeks out of depot) working out of the Vancouver Town Station and assigned to guard prisoners at Assize court trials.

I played cards with Castellani in the cell block while the jury was out, then around midnight we were called back into court and I heard for the first time a person being sentenced to hang.

Seems there was no pre-sentence report in those days ! At any rate, when we left – as this photo was being taken, I was to take him back to Oakalla prison but of course, being news to Vcr, had no idea where it was so he directed me.”

Photograph of former radio broadcaster Rene Castellani was convicted in November 1966 of murdering his wife Ester Castellani by giving her arsenic (Source of photo – Vancouver Sun newspaper).

John went on to say” Following town station, I was transferred to North Vancouver Detachment where I spent a few years in uniform, then on to prosecutor duties ( we did not have Crown Counsel in those days).

Doug Payne was the criminal prosecutor and I was traffic -but we covered for each other for holidays. This was a great experience and of course Doug kept me laughing! Then on to GIS for a few years before moving over to Vancouver Drug Section.

I mainly worked street crew on the downtown East side and covered on U/C operations after taking a course given by Abe Stadenko ( sp) .

I was fortunate to work with many great Vancouver Police Officers – who really did train us for the job on the streets and there are lots of stories from this period of time. I went on to the fairly boring heroin trafficking section where surveillance was the norm.

As I had been attending school throughout ( UBC & SFU), I eventually felt that there was more to life so left the force and went to CIBC Bank where I was the first Corporate Security guy in BC. I got a few of my friends into Bank jobs – Ray Scheller – BNS, Ozzie Cochrane – RBC, Jim Band – TD.

After 14 years, I moved over to HSBC Bank where I became ASST VP and Director for Canada and was able to visit many parts of the world for various meetings due to its’ International status. Retired 4 years ago and live in South Surrey. Still hold a PI license and do some work for Lawyers and Money Services businesses – but not too much as my wife Glenda and I are doing more traveling these days.”

If you have similar photographs of unknown RCMP member, you can forward them to Ric Hall.  He will scan the image and return the original to you.