Peel police have found the body of George Koutroubis, a Toronto restaurateur who went missing last Tuesday.

The 36-year-old co-owner of Six Steps restaurant, an upscale lounge in the city's downtown core, was found with "obvious signs of trauma" in his car, police told reporters at a news conference Monday morning.

The car was found in a parking lot Sunday afternoon on Steeles Avenue, just west of Hurontario Street in Brampton. However, investigators think the car and Koutroubis' body was driven to the location some time between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon.

English would not comment on where the victim's body was found in the car but said investigators believe the car was driven to that location by someone else.

"At this stage it is vital we speak to anyone who knew Mr. Koutroubis and vital to speak with anyone who saw him in the last 72 hours of his life," said Insp. Norm English.

Koutroubis, a budding entrepreneur who also owned several rental properties and a UPS store, was reported missing by his wife when he didn't return home from work Tuesday.

Newlywed

The victim left his downtown condominium at around 7:30 a.m. He spoke with a business associate on the phone at around 4:30 p.m. and told him he was running errands and meeting with a client in the Whitby area.

But his friends and family never heard from Koutroubis after that. Toronto police said they suspected foul play, especially because Koutroubis was not the type of person to stay out of touch. The businessman was always on his Blackberry phone, keeping in constant touch with family, friends and business associates.

Now police say they are looking into possible links to illegitimate business associates.

Investigators say Koutroubis facilitated sports bets from time to time although police were quick to add that he did not have a criminal record.

Friends of Koutroubis said he was excited to go on his honeymoon with his wife Rhoda, who he had married on Dec. 27, 2008. They were supposed to board a flight on Friday, three days after he disappeared.

A Facebook group that was set up to help find Koutroubis was quickly filled with notes of sympathy from friends of the murdered man.

George Tsiolis, a close friend of the family who spread the word about the man's disappearance through Twitter, posted a statement on behalf of the family.

"It is with deep sadness that we report the loss of our friend, brother, husband and son George Koutroubis," he posted on Facebook. "I don't have much more to say right now, except to say with every fibre (sic) of my being that George was the kind of friend you dream of having in your life. The first guy to lend a hand, pick up the tab, crack a joke, call to congratulate you.

"This was a senseless murder," he added. "We are all numb for now. Rage will come later but for now we simply mourn the loss of our brother George Koutroubis. I can't believe I just wrote that line. Can't."

The victim's family remained in seclusion Monday. Several of his friends gathered at Six Steps to console each other.

"The family is devastated," said the family's priest before going into the restaurant. "They need our support and our prayers."