Mother of Ontario man missing nearly six months speaks out on concerns surrounding investigation
It’s been nearly six months since Raheem White was reported missing from Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood and his mother, Rosemarie, says she feels the investigation has begun to stall.
Speaking with CTV News Toronto on the phone from her home in Jamaica, Rosemarie White recalled Raheem’s childhood growing up in Brampton, Ont.
“He always got along with everybody,” she said. “Raheem is an awesome young man.”
White said Raheem participated in Little League baseball and Taekwondo as a child, before becoming a youth minister in his teens and developing an interest in music. Throughout his youth, Raheem maintained a presence at his local church.
At the time of his disappearance, Raheem was working as a local DJ and had plans to move in with his girlfriend, those close to him said.
With every passing day, White says she continues to pray for her son’s safety.
THE DISAPPEARANCE
Raheem was last seen on Dec. 1. in the Osler Street and Pelham Avenue area of Toronto at around 3:30 p.m, according to police. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, an orange toque and a black backpack.
A vehicle being driven by Raheem at the time of his disappearance has since been located by investigators, with his wallet and personal belongings inside. His cellphone remains missing.
Rosemarie said there was nothing in the time leading up to Raheem’s disappearance that indicated to her anything was wrong, nor did she know her son to be dealing with any mental health issues.
She believes he was taken.
Raheem’s former roommate and close friend, Stefan Coward, said he spoke to Raheem on a regular basis before his disappearance. The last time the two saw one another was Nov. 29 – two days before Raheem was reported missing.
“It didn't seem like anything was off,” he said, adding Raheem had visited him to sign employment documents in order to work alongside him building sets for television shows in the Greater Toronto Area.
“There was no real indication, no real sign.”
THE INVESTIGATION
While Raheem was reported missing on Dec. 1, police didn't contact Rosemarie that day. Instead, she was the first to establish a line of communication on Dec. 2, police confirmed.
Since then, there’s been a number of delays in Rosemarie receiving police updates due to staff shortages and redeployments.
Maureen Trask, an Ontario advocate for missing persons and their families, was contacted by Rosemarie during the first week Raheem went missing.
Trask told CTV News Toronto she works as an advocate because her own son, Daniel Trask, went missing in 2011 for three-and-a-half years before his remains were found. During that process, she said she “realized how little service is available to families to help them not only understand the process [of a missing persons case], but to understand their role.”
After being retained by Rosemarie, Trask said she contacted Toronto police “right away," presenting them with a list of 26 unanswered questions pertaining to the investigation on behalf of the family. Her first goal was to create clear lines of communication between police and the Whites, she said.
According to Trask, it took almost a month for Toronto police to commit to providing weekly updates, which they’ve been doing since, although Rosemarie says the frequency of the communication tends to vary.
Despite this, Trask says she isn’t chastising Toronto police.
“That's not uncommon – in every jurisdiction across Canada.”
Although she’s been receiving investigation updates from police, Rosemarie said she was not asked to participate in a formal, recorded interview until May 11 – nearly six months after her son was first reported missing – despite her repeated requests to do so.
“[We’ve been] screaming at them to do it,” Rosemarie said. “This is the reason I've had to get an advocate.”
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service confirmed to CTV News Toronto that Rosemarie participated in her first formal interview with the force on May 11, but highlighted that they are in “weekly communications with [Raheem’s] mother.”
“The Toronto Police Service takes missing people investigations extremely seriously and our officers are dedicated to finding people as quickly as possible, using significant resources from across the Service to support our efforts,” they said.
“If anyone feels there is information we are unaware of, they should contact us immediately.”
Rosemarie also says there’s not enough resources to investigate all the tips she receives, and, by the time tips are investigated, their relevancy has diminished.
“Oh my god, I've had so many sightings,” she said. “There's been tips every week, people message me regularly.”
“But if [Raheem] gets seen today, and [police] don't get the message until four days later, [is he] going to be in the same spot waiting for you? I don't think so.”
SUPPORT NEEDED FOR FAMILIES OF MISSING PEOPLE
Trask says that both families of missing people within Canada and police forces across the country need standardized support and resources when it comes to missing persons cases. That's why she's advocating for a national missing persons framework -- something she says has been implemented by many countries and ensures “accountability, transparency and consistency.”
She says it took six years of advocacy work before Ontario passed its Missing Persons Act, which came into effect in 2019, and expanded police powers in finding missing persons even when no criminal investigation is underway.
“Policing in Canada, at least for missing persons, is pretty much a jurisdictional issue,” she said. “So there's no consistency, no established procedure when it comes to missing persons."
Without a consistent approach to missing persons cases, Trask says it’s difficult to ensure standards are met.
“The consistency of practice is the concern and there's no authority in Canada that can mandate minimum standards for policing when it comes to missing persons – nothing.”
In 2019, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime (OFOVC) submitted a report to the independent civilian review of Toronto Police Services, prompted by the Bruce MacArthur investigation, in which it highlighted the often strained relationships between loved ones of missing persons and police.
The report points to a survey of Canadian families of missing persons conducted by the Resource Centre for Victims of Crime in 2005 in which 64 per cent said they were unsatisfied with the resulting police search, while 74 percent of respondents said police did not keep them regularly informed about what they were doing. The report highlights the negative consequences, such as an ability to cope with traumatic events, when victims' families are denied information or not frequently communicated with during an investigation.
KEEPING UP AWARENESS
Regardless of the status of the police investigation, Rosemarie says she will do whatever she can to raise awareness of her son’s case.
“I’m not going to say it’s not hurting me, but I have to put it in God’s hands,” she said.
“I need to keep awareness out there. That's what I'm really looking for. That's why I'm doing this.”
Meanwhile, she’s asking for anyone who might have information on the case to come forward.
“I believe somebody knows where my son is,” she said. “Somebody must know something.”
Toronto police are also asking anyone with information pertaining to Raheem’s disappearance to contact them at 416-808-2222.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.