The story behind mereggie
I am the eldest brother of the subject of this story, Reginald Stephen MacDonald, “Reggie.” Twenty years ago, on a
Blog
The latest stories, documents and additions published in the Reggie MacDonald Digital Archive.
Exploring mereggie
There are several ways to explore the mereggie website. You can follow Reggie’s story through the main menu, explore specific
Signs a Family Member May Be Involved in Criminal Activity
Families sometimes recognize that something is wrong long before they understand what is actually happening. That was true in our
What the Drugs Look Like
Illegal drugs and misused prescription medications can appear in many different forms. Powders, tablets, capsules, liquids, plant material and other
Drug Paraphernalia & What You May Find
Sometimes the first indication that a family member may be using drugs is not the drug itself. It may be
Warning Signs of Drug Use
Families are often among the first people to sense that something has changed, but recognizing possible drug use can be
How to Get Help
If you or someone you care about is struggling with alcohol or drug use, help is available. You do not
Prescribed Anxiety & Sleep Treatment
Prescription medications appear repeatedly in Reggie’s surviving writings, particularly in his Jail Diary. Their presence requires an important distinction. Taking
Barbiturates
Using This Page With the Jail Diary Barbiturates are an older group of sedative drugs that appear in Reggie’s surviving
Benzodiazepines
Using This Page With the Jail Diary Benzodiazepines were not a group of drugs that Reggie’s family knew to be
Psychedelics
Psychedelic drugs appeared relatively early in Reggie’s life. His writings describe experimenting with magic mushrooms while still in school, and
Stimulants
Stimulants are a broad group of drugs that includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription medications such as Ritalin. Cocaine played
Opioids
Opioids became one of the most destructive groups of drugs in Reggie’s life. His writings describe experiences with heroin and
Cocaine
Cocaine became a significant part of Reggie’s life during his late teens and twenties. His writings trace a progression from
Cannabis
Cannabis appears throughout Reggie’s writings and played a role in his life from a remarkably young age. Before exploring that
The Guardian Interviews Dad to Discuss Current Drug Addiction Challenges
Addicted, by Andrew Chisholm August 19, 2011 – Jim MacDonald can’t help but feel sorry for the people he often
Reggie MacDonald – The True Story
About This Article This article appeared in The Eastern Graphic in October 2007, after I had created the original mereggie.com
Jim’s reflections on the Memorial site
To finish the story, Art had a cross made and shortly after, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. went out and erected
Reggie’s Funeral Service
June 24, 2006 – We had decided to put off the funeral until Saturday afternoon June 24. Our reason was
The White Dove
June 3, 2006 Doves were not a common sight in Souris, so it seemed particularly unusual when a dove appeared
Obituary of Reggie MacDonald
June 20, 2006 – The death of Reggie MacDonald of Souris aged 39 years was resolved after a long and
What We Believe Happened to Reggie
After everything that happened during the search, one question remained that could never be answered with certainty: What happened to
Mapping the Recovery
When the first bone was found, our family was puzzled. If these were Reggie’s remains, why had only a single
Our Family During the Search and Recovery
[Editor’s Note: The following was written by Reggie’s father on July 10, 2006, reflecting on the support his family provided
Police Believe Remains Belong to Missing Man
By June 5, the evidence being found near Reggie’s car was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Human bone fragments, clothing
Skull, Clothing found near abandoned car
Nancy Willis, The GuardianJune 5, 2006 Souris – Investigation continues into the disappearance of 39-year-old Reggie MacDonald of Souris as
The Day We Learned Reggie Had Been Found
June 3, 2006 Editor’s note: Two accounts of this day were preserved by our family. The first was written by
Mystery Deepens
Mystery deepens for family after car, bones discovered Nancy Willis, The GuardianJune 1, 2006 SOURIS – The waiting continues for
Human Remains Found
May 31, 2006 — The search took a difficult turn when the RCMP confirmed that bones discovered near the area
Following the Ouija Board’s Clues
Editor’s introduction: By May 31, the organized search for Reggie was concentrated on one side of Bull Creek Road. As
Few Clues of Missing Man
May 30, 2006 — Two days after Reggie’s car was discovered, the search of the surrounding woods was well underway.
The Ouija Board and the Search for Reggie
Reg’s car had just been located when someone suggested that we ask a Ouija board some questions. I had little
The Search – An RCMP Perspective
Why the Site Had to Be Secured Years later, I had the opportunity to interview the RCMP officer who had
Reggie’s car is found
[This is my father’s account] – At approximately 2:20 pm, Sunday May 28, I picked up the phone and Marc
Keeping the Search Alive
Throughout the winter, RCMP Constable Marc Potvin continued trying to generate new leads in Reggie’s disappearance. When I interviewed him
A Psychic Reading During the Search
By late May 2006, Reggie had been missing for almost six months. During those months, members of our family looked
The RCMP Search for Reggie
The Investigation Begins When my father reported Reggie missing to the RCMP, the investigation was led by Dan McInnis, the
Getting Help to Search for Reggie
My father, Jim MacDonald, later wrote this account of his efforts to obtain government assistance during the first days of
RCMP launches Canada-wide search
Saturday, December 17, 2005, p. A3 Souris – Reginald MacDonald is missing from Souris and the RCMP is asking the
Searching for Reggie begins
December 4, 2005 The First Search Helen and I jumped in the car and thought we could head him off
My Father’s Account of Reggie’s Final Night
December 3–4, 2005 My father, Jim, later wrote the following account of Reggie’s final night at home. I have preserved
Reggie Disappears
December 5, 2005 The final chapter of Reggie’s life began during a family dinner on December 4, 2005. His behaviour
Reggie’s Overdue Library Books
January 2006 – After Reggie disappeared, a few bills showed up from the Provincial Library for overdue books. Reggie was
Application for Sickness Benefits Approved
Although Reggie was looking for work, he was not healthy. He was very sick, perhaps as a result of Hepatitis
Doctors order a Urine Test
Prescription Problems This morning (Monday, October 17, 2005), I went to Charlottetown to see the doctor. I picked up carries
When Reggie Nearly Lost His Methadone
Editor’s Note: The following account was written by Reggie’s father. Reggie’s own words are identified where they appear.] Reggie’s Father
A Day in the Life of a Shunned Addict
[This was written in the fall of 2005. This has to be one of the most insightful posts in the
Reggie’s Last Summer at Home
Editor: When Reggie returned to PEI in May 2005, he moved back in with our parents. The following recollection was
Reggie’s Other Addiction — Sudoku
One of Reggie’s little obsessions after he came home was Sudoku. It is twenty years later as I write this,
Reggie’s 2005 Souris Calendar
Editor: Reggie viewed living in Souris as pretty repetitive. Here is his town calendar for 2005. Reggie did not date
Looking for a New Start in 2005
Shortly after returning to PEI in 2005, Reggie was actively looking for work. This June 1 application for an advertising
Coming Home
During the second week of May 2005, Reggie lost his driving privileges because of unpaid fines accumulated over the preceding
Letters Reggie Wrote to Himself in Treatment
[Editor: During treatment, Reggie sometimes wrote letters addressed to himself. Some were humorous or deliberately exaggerated, while others dealt directly
Reggie’s Years in Advertising Sales
By 2003, Reggie had found an unexpected new line of work: advertising sales. According to a job application he wrote
Reggie Is Arrested in Toronto
October 2003 By the fall of 2003, Reggie was living in Ontario and working in advertising sales. In a job
Looking for Work Again
Editor’s Note: The exact date of this unfinished letter is unknown. It appears to have been written after Reggie lost
Reggie’s Sense of Humour
During Reggie’s years in Toronto in the early 2000s, I was living in San Francisco but occasionally had the opportunity
Struggling to Start Again
Losing his job at Toronto Island Airport was a major setback for Reggie. More than a decade after studying avionics,
The Career Reggie Almost Had
By the end of the winter of 2002, Reggie had lost the job at Toronto Island Airport that had finally
Life in a Toronto Boarding House
September–October 2001 Editor’s Note: By the fall of 2001, Reggie was living in Toronto, working at Toronto Island Airport and
Trying to Start Over
March 2000 After nearly two years in jail, Reggie was released from Sleepy Hollow Provincial Correctional Centre in March 2000.
Reggie Returns to Toronto
May 2001 In May 2001, Reggie left Prince Edward Island and returned to Toronto. It was another attempt to start
Comments from Reggie’s Friends
A Recollection from Reggie’s Friend Charlene MacKenzie Charlene MacKenzie was a good friend of Reggie’s and has shared several memories
Reggie Challenges a Welfare Decision
August 2000 After being denied assistance for June and July 2000, Reggie appealed the decision. His appeal was heard on
The Kidnapping — Our Parents’ Account
The following account was written by our parents, Helen and Jim MacDonald, as they looked back on Reggie’s kidnapping. Unlike
New Brunswick Man convicted in kidnapping
Reggie was deeply afraid of testifying against the men charged in connection with his kidnapping and explained in his own
The Kidnapping, as Recounted by Reggie
[Editor: After the kidnapping, Reggie was expected to cooperate with the prosecution of the men charged in the case. He
Three Accused in Reggie’s Kidnapping Are Released
March 14, 2001 Just days after Reggie was abducted, three of the five men charged in connection with the kidnapping
Jim’s Statement to the RCMP
The following statement was given by Reggie’s father, Jim MacDonald, to the RCMP on March 10, 2001, the morning after
Kidnapped Over a Drug Debt
[Editor: In March 2001, a dispute over a drug debt led to Reggie being abducted and assaulted by a group
How Were the Drugs Getting Into Jail?
Drugs appear repeatedly in Reggie’s Jail Diaries. Dilaudid, OxyContin, Percocet, Demerol, Valium, Serax and other drugs were available at different
Keestering: The Prisoner’s Hidden Pocket
Concealing possessions or contraband inside the body is a practice with a long history in prisons and other places of
Books Reggie Read in Jail
Reading became an important part of Reggie’s life in jail. His Jail Diary is filled with references to books and
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
March 5 My last weekend is finished. Yabba dabba do! The guards are all calling me a short timer. I’m
Release Day
March 8 My light burnt out so I’m sleeping downstairs in Jason’s old room tonight. Pain in the arse. …
The Countdown Is On
March 1 This is the month I’ve been waiting for, so long. This week’s been going alright. I’m feeling somewhat
Soon I Will Be Free
February 27 Well, what a long fucking weekend this was. I gotta get outta here … my voice is coming
Those Things Really Do Get Their Claws Into Me
February 24 My throat seems to be getting better … I started on antibiotics this evening. They’re not sure if
It Scares Me
February 19 Well, my ship finally came in today. The long awaited and much appreciated package made its way in.
The Final Days Are Long Ones
February 14 Still sick today and it seems to be getting worse. I can hardly talk and I got a
I Need a Couple Days of Freedom
February 11 More bad luck today. I think I have some kind of AA curse on me. Everything was all
Yabba-Dabba-Doo
February 8 One more day closer to getting out. But I’m trying not to get excited … we got another
There Were Some Good Moments
February 5 Saturday. I got lots of sleep today, maybe too much, but that’s ok cause I’ve got a good
This Is My Home, for the Time Being
January 31 Feeling sick today, this is not pleasant. I’m stuffed up and my cigarettes don’t taste good. … Bubba
Dreams of Freedom Fill My Head
January 28 Another weekend coming up. My 6th last one. I had hoped to sleep it all away on Serax
There’s Much to Do in My Last Six Weeks
January 25 Things are getting a little better. I think we found an alternative way to get my package in.
The End Is Approaching Fast
January 19 I couldn’t sleep last night so I saw the doctor this morning. He’s putting me on the immovane
I Have a Long Way to Go
January 17 Some bad but not suprising news today. [Counselor] won’t give me a t.a. for treatment. I expected this
There’s Always Hope, I Guess
January 12 Went to see the doctor this morning. Weighed myself. 190 pounds. I’m really getting fat. This is getting
Taking the Fight to the Supreme Court
January 10 I got a letter from the Supreme Court today. They say my application is unacceptable because I didn’t
To Be King of the World Again
January 4 Yeah! The long awaited D’s [Dilaudid] finally arrived! Only two of them but I felt so good. So
I Can Feel My Freedom Getting Closer
January 1, 2000 Well, the first day of the new millennium has passed. Slowly, but its gone by and I’m
I Have No Pleasant Thoughts This Evening
December 27 Today, as it turned out was a holiday. I wasn’t expecting this, but Boxing Day fell on a
Another Christmas in Jail
December 23 [Guard1] continues to fuck me around. Bubba called me down to admitting and cut my bracelet off. Apparently,
I Hardly Ever Get Visits
December 18 One week away from Christmas now, but it’s no big deal in here. It was a boring day,