‘Strong possibility of foul play’: 2 years after Scarborough man vanished, Toronto police reclassify case as homicide

Toronto police say the disappearance of Taron Stepanyan — a Scarborough man who vanished more than two years ago is now being investigated as a homicide.

Investigators announced the update Saturday morning, saying new information has led them to conclude the circumstances of Stepanyan’s disappearance now meet the threshold for a homicide investigation, marking the first time police have publicly said they believe the now 42-year-old father likely met with foul play.

“Based on information we’ve recently obtained, the circumstances of his disappearance now meet the threshold for a homicide investigation,” Det. Sgt. Phillip Campbell told reporters.

“What I can say is that we believe there is a strong possibility that foul play was involved in Taron’s disappearance.”

Stepanyan was last seen on Dec. 23, 2023, in Scarborough’s West Hill area, near Morningside Avenue and Kingston Road.

He was 40 years old at the time.

He is described by police as five-foot-11 and weighing 229 pounds with short brown hair, a brown/grey beard, and brown eyes.

‘Now is the time to come forward,’ police say

Campbell said investigators are renewing their appeal to the public, urging anyone who may have seen or heard something to come forward, adding that even the smallest pieces of information can help.

“We’re asking people to think back to late December 2023 take your minds back to any conversations you may have had or any unusual activity you might have seen that day, any details that you can recall,” he said.

“I’d like to hear about it, even the smallest piece of information could be significant.”

Police say officers will be canvassing the neighbourhood in the coming days to speak with residents.

He also warned that anyone who helped conceal what happened could face criminal charges.

“If anyone has any information about this case, including helping someone after the fact or assisting in the destruction of evidence or hiding evidence, they could be charged with accessory after the fact of murder,” he said. “Now is the time to come forward.”

‘His family is devastated’

Campbell acknowledged the toll the case has taken on Stepanyan’s loved ones, nearly two years after he was last seen.

“We recognize that this has been an incredibly difficult and painful period for Taron’s family, particularly as time passes on without getting any answers,” he said.

“Taron was a family man. He had a son. He had a family. Right now his family is devastated. Keep in mind, he’s been missing for two years.”

Family long suspected foul play

As CP24 previously reported, Stepanyan’s relatives have long said they feared something criminal had happened to him.

• ‘So many questions and so few answers’: Family of Toronto man missing for almost 2 years desperate to find him

Unable to get what they described as meaningful updates from police at the time, his sister, Tatev Stepanyan, who lives in Armenia, hired Toronto lawyer Elina Marinosyan last year to help the family navigate the case.

“At this point, we are very puzzled as to why this is not being investigated as a homicide,” Marinosyan said at the time.

She said Stepanyan would never have stopped communicating with his family on his own.

“Taron would never, never stop communicating with them on his own free will,” she said, adding he was close with his teenage son in Canada and regularly spoke with his mother.

Stepanyan is a Canadian citizen who came to Canada about 10 years ago.

Police are asking anyone with new information about Stepanyan’s disappearance to contact investigators immediately or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CP24’s Joanna Lavoie...