'We are desperate': Family of slain Toronto tech CEO renews $250,000 reward in unsolved murder case
Nearly five years after Matthew Staikos was gunned down in Toronto, the family of the tech CEO has renewed a $250,000 reward in the unsolved murder case.
“To say that the last four years, eight months, and 10 days have not been easy would be a gross understatement. Every day has been excruciating, insufferable, seemingly unsurvivable,” the family said in a statement at a news conference Tuesday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Today is no different. And yet, here we are. We don’t want to be here. It is incredibly difficult for us to once again be standing in front of the cameras, sharing our pain with the world. But we are desperate.”
Staikos, a former BlackBerry employee and CEO of the Toronto-based Vleepo, was shot and killed while he was walking in the area of Yorkville Avenue and Bay Street on the night of May 28, 2018.
Surveillance video released at the time shows Staikos walking in the affluent neighbourhood at approximately 11:30 p.m. with another person when the pair passed a Mercedes-Benz that was parked on the street.
A man appeared to exit from the passenger side of the vehicle and follow the two men out of the surveillance camera’s view. Then, the man is seen running back to the Mercedes and fleeing southbound on Bay Street.
One witness described hearing loud gunshots before he discovered Staikos’s body. The 37-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our lives will never be the same. We will never be as joyful, as calm, or as complete as we once were when our sweet, brilliant Matthew was with us and living his beautiful life. But being able to bring Matthew’s killer to justice, to understand why this happened, to take the next step forward in this most unfortunate process will, we think, bring us some peace,” the family said Tuesday.
Matthew Staikos is seen in this photo taken from his Facebook page.
Days after Staikos's death, police described the shooting as an “unprovoked attack on a defenceless man.”
Speaking at Tuesday's news conference, Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said as far as motive goes, police are still in the dark.
“We’ve looked deeply into the background of Matthew Staikos. He was exactly as he’s being described. Loved by all. A successful businessman. In a loving relationship…The reason this happened to him is still dumfounding to us,” Browne said.
While police maintain the shooting was targeted, Browne admitted investigators still aren’t "100 per cent" sure that Staikos was the intended target and may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Det. Sgt. Terry Browne speaks at a news conference on Feb. 7, 2023 in Toronto.
“Did the shooter, perhaps mistakenly shoot the wrong person? That may be a piece of information that we don’t have that we’re looking to seek right now,” Browne said.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that whoever did this, it was a planned and deliberate incident…There were steps that were taken by the shooter to look in the general area, to be around that area for a period of time. It wasn’t something that happened, in our opinion, off the cuff where they just happened to come across Mr. Staikos and do what they did.”
Neither the suspect, nor the driver of the vehicle, have ever been identified by police.
The silver or titanium-coloured suspect vehicle, which Browne described as a “crucial” element in the case, is believed to be either a 2017 or 2018 Mercedes-Benz C43 Series or 2016 C45 or C450. The vehicle was never recovered.
A Mercedes-Benz, which police have identified as a suspect vehicle in the deadly shooting of Matthew Staikos, is seen on May 28, 2021. Toronto Police Service)
The private reward of up to $250,000 will go to anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest of Staikos'skiller or killers, a spokesperson for the family said in a statement.
The family previously announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for Staikos’s murder back in 2021.
That reward has since expired and is being reissued by way of Tuesday's announcement.
Anonymous tips made through Crime Stoppers will also be eligible for the reward money.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.