Durham police appeal for info on Ariel Kaplan after body found in a hockey bag in May
CBC
Investigators with Durham Regional Police are turning the public for more information about what happened to Ariel Kaplan, whose body was found in Uxbridge, Ont. in May, months after he was reported missing.
At a news conference Monday morning, police said they now believe Kaplan was abducted from the area of Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue in Toronto on Aug. 29, 2021, before he was killed and his body was disposed of.
Investigators say they believe Kaplan had dinner with several acquaintances at a restaurant in the Yorkville area sometime after 9 p.m. that day.
Based on witness accounts, Det. Sgt. Doris Carriere said Kaplan appeared to fear for his safety in the days and weeks before his abduction.
"Aeriel Kaplan was a son, a brother, an uncle — his death has deeply affected his family, his friends, and his community," said Carriere.
"At this time, we continue to follow up on leads but are appealing to the public for any information that could assist in solving this murder and provide some closure for those affected."
Police say Kaplan, who lived in Richmond Hill, was reporting missing in September of last year.
His body was discovered back on May 10, when a homeowner reported finding a hockey bag floating in a large pond adjacent to their property near Concession Road 6 and Allbright Road, about an hour's drive north of the city.
Police said forensic services determined the remains were that of the 32-year-old Kaplan.
Durham police and Toronto police are conducting a joint investigation into the death, Carriere said, and have conducted over 125 interviews and analyzed hundreds of thousands of documents as part of the investigation.
Through those interviews, Carriere said, police found Kaplan was involved in construction and real-estate investments, and had ties with Russian and Jewish communities in Toronto, as well as business relationships with members of Somalian, Italian and Mexican communities.
Carriere said Monday there is no direct evidence to suggest Kaplan was linked to organized crime or that organized crime was involved in his death.
However, he said Kaplan had previously been involved in "fraudulent activity." Kaplan had been arrested in May 2021 after a transport trailer was stolen in the Steeles Avenue East and Highway 410 area. Police recovered more than $243,000 in suspected stolen merchandise, including office furniture, washing machines, motor oil, and bottled juice. Kaplan was charged with possession of property obtained by crime exceeding $5,000.
Investigators say they don't know if that activity is related to his disappearance, or if that charge has anything to do with Kaplan's death.
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