Mystery surrounds remains of young girl found in Toronto dumpster one year ago

It’s been exactly one year since the remains of a little girl were found in a dumpster outside an under-construction house in Toronto’s affluent Rosedale neighbourhood and her identity is still unknown.

Investigators have interviewed people in the area of Dale Avenue, north of Castle Frank Station, since and made appeals to the public for information. They’ve released a description and composite sketch of the child and did genetic genealogy testing to see if her DNA was a match with any children reported missing across North America.

But the investigation remains unsolved.

At this point, Toronto police aren’t saying much and declined requests for an interview and a written update.

Now, community members are coming together to try to bring renewed attention to this mysterious case.

Rev. Daniel Cho, of the nearby Rosedale Presbyterian Church (RPC), said this tragedy has left people in the community with feelings of shock, horror, and sadness.

“Usually we assume that (the police) are going to catch whoever is responsible,” he told CP24.com during a recent interview. “(This little girl) is a ghost and she shouldn’t be.”

Cho, who was hired as the local church’s new minister just two weeks before the child’s remains were found and officially assumed his new role in July, said he knew from the day of the discovery that he wanted to do something special with his new congregation to honour her.

“I feel that no person should pass from this earth with no identity, especially a child,” said Cho, who along with several members of his church has organized a one-year service of remembrance.

The gathering will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rosedale Presbyterian Church at 129 Mt. Pleasant Rd.

“We really want to bring dignity to this child’s life, which is something she didn’t have in her death,” he said.

“We want to change the narrative. We don’t want the last words about her to be those circumstances.”

Cho also said that he is hopeful that the community coming together to mark this solemn time will help renew awareness about the case and hopefully encourage someone who knows something to come forward with new information.

An artwork depicting the young girl whose remains were found in a dumpster outside an under-construction home in Rosedale on MAy 2, 2022. (Michele Nidenoff/illustration)

Members of RPC have been planning the one-year memorial for the last six months. Congregant Michele Nidenoff created a unique artwork with the likeness of the child, while several others have knitted colourful scarves that participants will wear in homage to the blankets she was found wrapped in. Flyers have been distributed throughout neighbourhood inviting everyone to attend.

Michelle Miller-Guillot, a long-time church member who is helping plan the service, said they put together the one-year memorial because this case “deserves to be solved.”

“(This child) deserves to be remembered, and not just as an unidentified girl whose remains were found in a dumpster,” she said.

“This is a way for the community, for anyone, to come together and remember. We also want to shed new light on this case.”

Toronto police are expected to speak during Saturday’s service, which is open to all.

Insp. Hank Idsinga, of the homicide and missing persons unit, has previously pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in working to determine what happened to the little girl.

So far all that is publicly known about the child is that she was between four and seven years old. She was Black, of either African or mixed African race, had all her teeth, and measured three feet six inches tall with a thin build. Her black curly hair was sectioned into four ponytails, two of which were braided and secured with black and blue elastic bands.

Police said that the little girl’s remains were found wrapped in a colourful crocheted blanket and placed inside a bag, which was enveloped by another blanket.

Last spring, investigators said they believe that she could have died as far back as the summer or even fall of 2021.

They also said that the child’s remains were placed in the dumpster sometime between noon on April 28 and 4:45 p.m. on May 2, 2022.

After further investigation, police said it is “unlikely” that the little girl had “ever been reported missing.”

The scene at Castle Frank Road and Dale Avenue area can be seen above. (John Musselman/CTV News Toronto)

“I think it’s so sad and also kinda scary,” area resident Elle Antony told CP24.com late last week.

“It was tough,” Dale Laville, who works in the neighbourhood, told CP24.com, recounting the day when the remains were found. “I remember all the commotion when the remains were found a year ago. It’s been a year now. Hopefully something will come up.”

Anne Lee, who lives just down the street, said what happened last May shocked people in her community as Rosedale had never before experienced a tragedy like that.

“Hopefully someone will feel compelled to speak up and share some details,” she said.