"Mr. Power has presented himself to us and is fine," an RNC spokesman said early Monday afternoon. "The missing persons' file is now concluded."
EARLIER STORY:
Unpaid celebrity guests and an organizer who has reportedly gone missing - Avalon Expo ended amid controversy Sunday night.
The three-day sci-fi/fantasy/comics convention took place at Mile One Centre in St. John's over the weekend. Established in 2015, the event featured various vendor booths, workshops, games, speed dating, mock battles, autograph sessions and presentations on everything from makeup and special effects to palaeontology, among other events. There were also a number of special guests: "Sailor Moon" voice actors Linda Ballantyne and Katie Griffin; "Doctor Who" actor Colin Baker; and René Auberjonois, known as Chief Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and other roles.
"Something fishy going on," Auberjonois tweeted from Avalon Expo Sunday afternoon. "Promoter Jeff Power seems to have disappeared.
"We're being stiffed and he's run out on the hotel bill, so this is a total clusterf**k."
"Hope you find the squirrely promoter," a Twitter user responded.
"He better hope I don't," Auberjonois replied.
Power, founder of the convention, reportedly vanished sometime between Saturday and Sunday, with other members of his organizing team posting on Facebook that they hadn't heard from him, either. One, describing herself as next in the Avalon Expo chain of command, said she and others had spoken to the police and a missing person report had been filed for Power.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary confirmed Monday morning that a missing person report was filed for Power.
"The guests are right to be upset," wrote Bonnie Glenn on Facebook. She said the "death knell has rung" for the convention.
"Promises were made on one person's part and those same promises fell through in a huge way. We have done our best to repair relations with them. The guests understand the rest of us are not to blame."
Auberjonois' tweets reflected that understanding: "He's vanished and left the poor volunteers spinning in the wind," he wrote. "To be clear, the volunteers are doing everything they can to make this less of a mess than the promoter has left them with - holding the bag."
Power hasn't responded to to a message from The Telegram asking for comment; Auberjonois, however, did.
"All I want to say is that the staff/volunteers and fans couldn't have been more gracious and concerned," he replied. "'Nuff said - onward!"
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Twitter: @tara_bradbury
