Police believe two suspects wanted in a Toronto-area murder investigation may be heading west to B.C.
On Tuesday, Vancouver police issued a statement saying that they have reason to believe that the pair may be heading to the Lower Mainland of Canada's western-most province, though they did not provide further details.
Sina Parsi, a 32-year-old roofing contractor from Vaughan, Ont., disappeared after attending a soccer game on June 9. His body was found three days later in an eighth-floor apartment unit in the area of Jane Street and St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto.
A man and woman who lived in the apartment where his body was found have been identified as suspects in the case. Officers said Clyde Marshall, 36, and Sabrina Chouart, 27, lived in the apartment for approximately two years.
On Monday, officers released surveillance video showing the suspects leaving the apartment at approximately 4 a.m. on June 10, just hours after Parsi was last seen. Police said they do not believe the suspects plan to return to their apartment building, as both suspects were wearing backpacks at the time.
The suspects were seen walking out of the building with a large, brown dog. The dog was found four kilometres from the apartment, tied up on Dundas Street West, just west of Islington Avenue.
It was tied to a pole next to a bag of food, and had no tags on its collar.
Heather Ervin, the woman who found the dog, said she first spotted it on Thursday morning on her way to work. Ervin went to work, then came back a short time later with a colleague. She asked neighbours if anyone recognized the dog, then called animal services.
"He was very friendly. He definitely needed some attention but was very well-behaved," she said.
Police said they believe the dog was abandoned by the murder suspects as they left the area.
They said they believe Chouart and Marshall may be hitchhiking, and that there have been sightings across Ontario. The sightings have not been verified by police.
Investigators said they believe Chouart and Marshall are likely wearing the same clothes as shown in the video. Marshall is described as a white, 6-foot-tall male weighing 145 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and a thin build, with tattoos on the right side of his neck and his right arm.
Chouart is white, approximately 5-foot-7 and weighs 130 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length hair and a thin build.
Police warned that people who spot the pair should not approach them, but call police or 911 immediately. Police said they believe they know the motive of Parsi's murder, but have not released it to the public.
Anyone with more information on the case or the couple's whereabouts is asked to contact officers at 416-808-7400 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
