Manuscript for article by Iowa Walsh

February 27, 1987

On February 19th, fisherman Ivan Murtin failed to show up to work for the third day in a row. Following a call from his supervisor, the local police discovered his home empty. There were no signs of breaking and entering, and his truck was still parked in his driveway. Murtin has no living relatives and has not been seen since.

Murtin was a resident of Creeping Cove. For Westport residents not aware, Creeping Cove is a small island community 23 miles south of the mainland. Its population of just under 5,000 is sustained largely by its fishing industry and it's rare that residents make the commute to the mainland.

The city of Creeping Cove only takes up a small portion of the island of Creeping Cove (they’re both called Creeping Cove, I know, it’s confusing), and much of the surrounding island is uninhabited woodlands tracked only by footpaths.

From this reporter’s thus far short stay in the Cove, I have found most residents to be friendly, if a little strange, which I suppose is to be expected from a community this isolated.

When I reached out to Ivan Murtin’s supervisor, Charlie Rourke, he refused to comment, claiming he had said all that needed to be said to the police. Other fishermen I interviewed claimed Murtin was quiet and reserved, and none of them really seemed to know him- or whether or not he may have had enemies.

Upon visiting Murtin’s house, I was able to corroborate the police report that stated there were no signs of breaking and entering. That being said, on the back wall of his home, I did find a dark red stain.

One final note- I can’t imagine it will be useful in this investigation, but local fisherman Fargo North shared with me that on the first day Murtin failed to show up to work, they pulled in no fish- a preternatural anomaly.

My investigation into Ivan Murtin’s disappearance has only just begun, but clearly my work is cut out for me. Until next time, Westport, I’ve been Iowa Walsh.