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This podcast contains graphic content

1:09

and may not be suitable for all listeners. Listener

1:12

discretion is strongly advised. True

1:15

North True Crime is produced on the territories

1:17

of the Coast Salish people.

1:24

A critical issue

1:27

in the vast Canadian landscape lingers.

1:40

The absence of an alert system for

1:42

missing vulnerable adults. This

1:44

missing element leaves a concerning gap

1:47

for families of people living with complex

1:49

intellectual disabilities such as dementia,

1:51

fetal alcohol syndrome, or Down syndrome.

1:55

Families dealing with aging parents or loved

1:57

ones who go missing with conditions like these are often

1:59

often left to deal with the aftermath alone

2:02

without the help they desperately need.

2:05

It's a glaring issue that calls for action and

2:07

unity. Imagine a Canada where

2:10

a well-structured alert system responds swiftly

2:12

when a vulnerable adult goes missing, a

2:15

place where their stories end with hope

2:17

and reunion rather than heartbreak.

2:20

This is an issue that all Canadians should

2:22

delve into, urging a collective promise

2:25

for a brighter and safer future

2:27

for all. In today's episode,

2:29

we will be detailing a case of a missing

2:31

vulnerable adult in the Toronto area.

2:34

His name is Nathan, and he is an adult

2:36

who is living with Down syndrome. He

2:38

has been missing since May 12,

2:41

2023, and his loved ones are desperately seeking answers

2:44

to his whereabouts. This is the case

2:46

of missing 37-year-old Nathan,

2:49

and you're listening to

2:50

True North True Crime.

3:09

Hello, everyone, and welcome to True North

3:11

True Crime. Thanks for joining us. If

3:13

you are new to the podcast, welcome, and if

3:15

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3:18

again. If you have a case suggestion for

3:20

us, please send us an email to truenorthtruecrimeatgmail.com.

3:25

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3:27

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3:29

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for you right now as we speak. Alright,

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let's go ahead and get right into this week's episode.

4:09

Okay, so in this episode, as I mentioned

4:11

in the intro, we are talking about the disappearance

4:14

of a 37 year old man named

4:16

Nathan. Now you may have noticed that we are

4:18

only using Nathan's first name and that

4:20

is intentional. As Nathan

4:23

is a missing adult, there are privacy concerns

4:25

at play and his family is choosing to only use his

4:27

first name, as are the police, so we have

4:29

opted to do that as well. Nathan

4:32

is an adult living with Down syndrome and at the time of

4:34

his disappearance in May of 2023, he was 37 and living in the Toronto

4:36

area, but Nathan was born in Kitchener and grew

4:42

up around the Waterloo region. At

4:44

the time of his disappearance, Nathan is described

4:46

as a 37 year old male living with Down

4:49

syndrome. He is four foot six inches

4:51

tall and weighs around 170 pounds. He

4:54

has brown hair and a full beard and mustache

4:57

when he was last seen. Anyone

4:59

with any information about Nathan's disappearance

5:01

or who knows his whereabouts is asked to

5:03

contact the Toronto Police at 416-808-2222. You

5:09

can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

5:11

and the organization Please

5:16

Bring Me Home also has an anonymous

5:19

tip line at 1-226-702-2728. We

5:24

put today's episode together using publicly available

5:27

news articles and we were lucky enough to

5:29

be put in touch with a member of Nathan's family

5:31

as well as a close friend of his to help us get

5:33

to know Nathan and the conditions surrounding

5:36

his disappearance. This episode

5:38

includes content regarding people living with

5:40

Down syndrome. If you would like more information

5:43

about this topic, please go to the Canadian

5:46

Down Syndrome Society at cdss.ca.

5:50

Canada's

6:00

most populous and economically influential

6:02

regions. The Kitchener-Waterloo area

6:05

is known for its strong and diverse economy.

6:07

It has a rich industrial history, particularly

6:10

in manufacturing, but has also

6:12

become a hub for technology and innovation.

6:15

It is often referred to as Canada's Silicon

6:17

Valley due to its thriving tech sector,

6:20

which includes numerous startups, tech

6:22

companies, and two prominent universities,

6:25

the University of Waterloo as well

6:27

as Wilfrid Laurier University. The

6:29

region offers a range of recreational opportunities.

6:32

The Grand River, which flows through the area,

6:35

provides residents with an array of outdoor

6:37

activities such as hiking, biking, and

6:39

canoeing. Kitchener-Waterloo

6:41

is also well connected to the Greater Toronto

6:44

Area by the highway and public

6:46

transportation. Go Transit

6:48

provides a commuter train service to and

6:50

from Toronto, making it a popular

6:53

option for those who work in the Toronto

6:55

area but prefer the lifestyle of the

6:57

quieter Kitchener-Waterloo area. At

7:00

the time of its disappearance, Nathan was living in

7:02

Toronto, Canada's largest city. This

7:04

was most certainly a big life change for

7:06

Nathan, who was used to living in Kitchener-Waterloo,

7:10

which has a population of just over 500,000 people, whereas

7:12

Toronto has 2.9 million residents in

7:16

the downtown core alone and

7:18

then 6 million people living in the Greater

7:20

Toronto Area. But it's important

7:22

to note that for Nathan, Waterloo

7:25

was where he seemed to feel most at home.

7:28

Nathan was born on February 10, 1986 at

7:31

St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario

7:33

to his parents Barb and James, who

7:35

went by Jim. Nathan

7:37

has an older sister named Chandra, who according

7:40

to Nathan's cousin who we spoke to for this

7:42

episode, was married when Nathan was 5

7:44

months old, so the age gap between the two

7:47

children was significant enough to allow

7:49

for that. After Chandra

7:51

got married, she and Nathan did not spend

7:53

a lot of time together. Growing

7:56

up, Nathan lived with his parents in the Waterloo

7:58

region until they both passed away. His

8:00

mother Barb passed away in December of 2013 and

8:02

his father Jim in December

8:05

of 2022. Nathan

8:08

takes pride in being an uncle to three nephews

8:10

and one niece, as well as three great

8:12

nieces and two great nephews. He

8:15

also shared a special bond with his maternal

8:17

grandparents before their passing. According

8:20

to a close friend of Nathan's that we interviewed, Nathan

8:22

was very close to his mother Barb and he

8:24

loved her dearly. When she

8:26

passed away in 2013, it hit

8:29

him hard and he carried that sadness for a

8:31

long time. To remember

8:33

her, he would keep his bedroom light on because

8:35

it reminded him of how she used to

8:37

tell him to turn it off at night. We

8:40

asked Nathan's cousin as well as his close friend

8:42

what Nathan is like as a person and they

8:45

both expressed that Nathan is an incredible person

8:47

who absolutely loved being involved in

8:49

the Waterloo community and he would regularly

8:52

attend church, participate in sports

8:54

and had a job at a diner. When

8:56

at home, Nathan loved video

8:58

games, particularly a wrestling

9:01

game.

9:01

Most people who are familiar with Nathan know

9:04

him as a diehard Toronto sports fan.

9:07

He made regular appearances at Toronto Raptors

9:09

games and his dance moves even landed

9:11

him on the Jumbotron in 2016. There

9:15

is a video of Nathan dancing at a Toronto

9:17

Raptors game while his team played the Miami

9:19

Heat. For over a full

9:22

minute, Nathan danced in the aisle

9:24

to shut up and dance with me by walk the

9:26

moon. His moves were up on

9:28

the scoreboard at center court. The

9:31

groups of people in the seats around him are

9:33

up on their feet and clapping to the beat supporting

9:36

Nathan. Nathan pulls out all

9:38

the stops. He's doing all the classic

9:40

moves including the sprinkler which goes

9:42

both ways.

9:44

From time to time, Nathan looks at his friends

9:46

and then up at the Jumbotron with

9:48

a look of joyous disbelief at his great

9:50

fortune to be featured. Every

9:52

time Nathan switches up his moves, you can hear the

9:55

nearly 19,000 people in the Scotiabank

9:57

Arena going crazy for Nathan.

10:00

And Nathan had good reason to dance that night as

10:02

his beloved Raptors were up 112 to 104

10:06

during his dance break. That night

10:08

Nathan was given a free ticket to another game

10:10

by the Raptors organization in

10:13

hopes that he would dance yet again

10:15

for them. Nathan's close friend

10:17

was with him that night and she shared with us that

10:20

Nathan was treated like a rock star as he

10:22

left the arena and walked back to the car. It

10:24

was a moment that Nathan and his loved ones

10:27

truly cherished. But Nathan wasn't

10:29

just a Raptors fan, he also loved

10:31

every other major sports team

10:34

in Toronto including the Blue Jays and the Maple

10:36

Leafs. His close friend told us that Nathan

10:38

would never give up on the Leafs no matter

10:40

what and that his knowledge and memory

10:43

of sports information was more impressive

10:45

than anyone they had ever met. And

10:47

Nathan didn't just enjoy watching sports. He

10:50

participated in basketball, curling, bowling,

10:53

mini golf, and softball. Usually

10:56

Nathan is really good at both lawn bowling and

10:58

mini golf.

10:59

Nathan is also known for his zest for life.

11:02

He would walk into a room and instantly brighten

11:04

up people's moods with his consistent smile,

11:07

jokes and infectious laugh.

11:09

He has a way of making those people that are close to him

11:11

feel cared for and feel loved

11:13

and appreciated. And those who

11:16

knew him said that connecting with others

11:18

was one of Nathan's greatest strengths.

11:20

So as we mentioned, Nathan is an

11:22

adult living with Down Syndrome in Canada.

11:26

And while experiences differ widely and depend

11:28

on a variety of factors such as individual

11:30

abilities, family support systems,

11:33

and access to resources, people

11:35

with Down Syndrome are generally fairly well

11:37

supported in this country. But

11:40

first off, what is Down Syndrome? Down

11:42

Syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement

11:45

that has always existed and is universal

11:47

across racial, gender, and socioeconomic

11:50

lines. One in every 781

11:53

babies born in Canada has Down Syndrome. People

11:58

with Down Syndrome experience some intellectual disability,

12:01

some delay in development which can lead to things

12:03

like delays in speech development or motor skills,

12:06

as well as characteristic physical traits

12:08

such as recognizable facial appearance and

12:10

short stature. It's a common misconception

12:13

that people living with Down syndrome have a short

12:15

life expectancy, but with appropriate

12:18

medical interventions and treatment most

12:20

individuals with Down syndrome can lead long

12:22

healthy lives. In 1983 the life expectancy

12:26

for people with Down syndrome was around 25

12:29

years, but today the

12:31

average is 60 years. However,

12:34

like anyone else there is no fixed life

12:36

expectancy and some individuals with Down

12:38

syndrome have reached their 70s and beyond.

12:41

People living with Down syndrome are more at risk of

12:43

health issues such as congenital heart conditions,

12:46

gastrointestinal issues, childhood

12:48

leukemia, respiratory infections,

12:51

sleep apnea, thyroid issues, as

12:53

well as hearing and vision impairments. There's

12:56

also a very common misconception that

12:58

people with Down syndrome are always happy

13:00

and this could not be further from the truth.

13:03

Individuals with Down syndrome can obviously

13:06

experience a range of emotions including

13:08

anger, sadness, embarrassment, and excitement.

13:11

Contrary to the misconception that they are always happy,

13:14

they actually face a higher likelihood of developing

13:17

mental health conditions like depression, anxiety,

13:19

and obsessive compulsive behavior when compared

13:21

to the general population. In

13:23

Canada individuals living with Down

13:26

syndrome have access to health care services

13:28

including early intervention and specialized

13:30

care. Children with Down syndrome

13:32

have the right to inclusive education and

13:35

there are programs in place to support people

13:37

and their learning needs. Some provinces

13:39

have dedicated programs and resources

13:42

to help individuals with Down syndrome throughout

13:44

their education. There are numerous

13:46

advocacy and support organizations across

13:49

Canada such as the Canadian Down Syndrome

13:51

Society or CBSS

13:53

and local Down syndrome associations.

13:56

These organizations provide valuable resources,

14:00

and supports to individuals with Down syndrome

14:03

and their families. Canada has

14:05

also been working on improving employment opportunities

14:07

for individuals with disabilities, including

14:10

those with Down syndrome. Various

14:12

employment programs and initiatives aim

14:14

to provide equal access to the job

14:16

market. And as is clear

14:19

in Nathan's case, families often

14:21

play a crucial role in the lives

14:23

of individuals with Down syndrome, providing

14:25

love, care, and support. So

14:28

when Nathan lost both of his parents,

14:30

it's easy to see that not only would

14:33

he be experiencing the normal feelings of

14:35

grief, but he also found himself

14:37

without this incredibly important support system

14:40

for the first time in his life.

14:42

So as we mentioned, Nathan was very close

14:44

with his mother Barb, who passed away in 2013, and

14:48

both his cousin and his close friend mentioned that

14:50

Nathan struggled with the loss of his mom. After

14:53

his mother's passing, Nathan and his father

14:55

Jim got very close with the help of their

14:57

church and friendship club. Between 2013

15:01

and 2022, Jim's health began

15:03

to deteriorate, and as a result, Nathan

15:06

spent a lot more time at home and less time

15:08

doing the things that he enjoyed. According

15:10

to Nathan's cousin, right before Jim passed

15:12

away in December of 2022, Nathan's

15:14

behavior

15:15

changed.

15:16

Here's a quote from his cousin.

15:18

Nathan was even afraid to open the door to anyone,

15:21

even to the delivery driver dropping off his dad's

15:23

meds because he was afraid that somebody was going

15:26

to kill him if he did. He

15:28

thought that he was living in

15:29

a TV show or a movie.

15:31

If I, his cousin, would go to the door, he

15:34

would open it for me, and not the

15:36

other family members. So

15:38

unfortunately, due to the COVID-19

15:40

pandemic, Nathan lost his job at the

15:42

diner that he was working at as a dishwasher. This

15:45

was sad, as Nathan loved that

15:47

job. He also began to lose touch

15:49

with his friends, as his father was no

15:51

longer able to drive due to his ailing

15:54

health. Nathan's father

15:56

Jim passed away in December of 2022, which left Nathan

15:58

in the inflow of the hospital. unfortunate

16:00

position of having to find an alternative

16:02

living situation. This

16:04

is when the option of moving to Toronto

16:07

was presented to Nathan. But

16:09

Nathan expressed his reluctance to move to Toronto

16:12

after his father's passing, a sentiment

16:14

that he conveyed multiple times

16:16

over the years.

16:17

This came up particularly when his dad faced

16:20

health issues serving as a reminder of

16:22

the inevitable. While his sister

16:24

had offered both of them, so Nathan and

16:26

their father, a place to live while their dad

16:29

was still alive, Nathan declined.

16:31

Even after his father's passing, Nathan

16:34

initially resisted moving in with

16:36

his sister, and this was primarily because he didn't

16:38

know her and her family very well. And

16:41

as you can imagine, for someone who loved routine

16:43

like Nathan did, Waterloo represented

16:45

a level of safety for him. This

16:48

is where he spent most of his time with the two people

16:50

he loved the most in the world, and now that

16:52

they were both gone, he was presented

16:54

with having to leave all of that safety behind,

16:57

and this could be a daunting task

16:58

for anyone.

17:00

Nathan had a strong desire to continue living

17:02

in his own home in Waterloo, as

17:04

he possessed the capability to live independently

17:07

with some support, such as managing finances

17:09

and maintaining personal hygiene. He

17:12

could also handle basic food preparation

17:14

and maintain friendships and relationships.

17:17

However, after his father's passing, Nathan

17:20

initially resided in a group home in the

17:22

Waterloo region, and eventually as a family,

17:25

it was decided that it would be best for Nathan to

17:27

move in with his sister and his brother-in-law

17:30

in Toronto, as they represented his

17:32

only immediate family remaining.

17:34

We are now going to get into the timeline of Nathan's

17:37

disappearance, and fair warning, there aren't very

17:39

many details, and the ones that we do have

17:41

are kind of murky. But here's

17:43

what we do know from various news articles, as

17:46

well as the information given to us by

17:48

the family spokespersons. Nathan's

17:50

cousin shared some details about

17:52

the day leading up to Nathan's

17:55

disappearance. Now, Nathan's disappearance is

17:57

considered May 12th,

18:00

So here's a quote from the cousin.

18:02

So

18:30

just to summarize here, Nathan's

18:32

cousin states that leading up to Nathan's disappearance

18:35

on May 12, 2023, he communicated with Nathan's cousin. He was a brother-in-law

18:46

and Nathan's sister had planned to stay at a B&B on the night of May 11, 2023, but

18:48

a daughter-in-law and Nathan's sister had planned to stay at a B&B

18:50

on the night of May 11,

18:52

2023, but a daughter-in-law and Nathan's cousin.

18:55

Leading up to Nathan's disappearance on May 12,

18:59

2023, he communicated with Nathan's brother-in-law

19:02

who was visiting to sort through Nathan's

19:04

belongings and collect some photos following

19:06

Jim's passing. The brother-in-law

19:08

and Nathan's sister had planned

19:11

to stay at a B&B on the night of

19:13

May 11, 2023, but

19:15

a delay occurred due to a motorcycle

19:17

accident involving Nathan's middle nephew. They

19:20

didn't arrive at the B&B until

19:23

midnight on May 11, 2023, the day before Nathan went missing. So

19:29

that same night on May 11,

19:32

2023 was the last time that Nathan was seen by his

19:34

cousin, his aunt, and his uncle.

19:37

And this was at a family dinner. Nathan

19:40

had attended this dinner with his sister

19:42

and her husband. Now keep in mind he was

19:45

living with his sister and her husband during

19:47

this time. Now according

19:49

to the police, Nathan was last seen

19:51

on May 12, 2023, at around 7pm in the Toronto area of Jane

19:53

Street and Shepherd Avenue, WV.

19:59

West. Now we've seen this reported

20:03

multiple times in various newspapers and it

20:05

always says in the area of Jane Street

20:07

and Shepherd Avenue West. It doesn't say

20:09

in his home or leaving his home

20:11

or at a bus stop or walking down the street.

20:14

It just says that he was in the area

20:17

of Jane Street and Shepherd Avenue West.

20:19

So it would be nice if we could get a

20:21

more solid report on where

20:23

he was actually seen. And I know that the

20:26

Toronto Police Service are trying to be vague around

20:29

certain details due to the confidentiality

20:31

in the Missing Persons Act.

20:34

So we asked Nathan's cousin who

20:36

was it originally who reported Nathan missing

20:39

and he stated to the best of my knowledge his sister

20:41

and brother-in-law didn't return home until 11

20:44

p.m. on May 12th.

20:47

They explained that Nathan's bedroom door

20:50

was shut and because it was usual

20:52

for him to keep the door closed when he slept

20:54

they didn't enter to check on him. On

20:57

the morning of May 13th his sister went to

20:59

see him only to find that he was not in

21:02

his room. It was then that they

21:04

reported Nathan as missing informing

21:07

the police that the last time that he was

21:09

seen was around 7 p.m.

21:11

on May 12th, 2023. The cousin goes on to say, I

21:15

personally wasn't aware of his disappearance until 11

21:17

p.m. on May 13th when

21:20

I contacted the Waterloo Regional Police.

21:23

His sister and brother-in-law didn't reach

21:26

out or call to inform us. However,

21:29

his brother-in-law did respond to an email

21:32

at 2 a.m. on May 14th

21:34

stating, quote, Nathan is

21:36

missing and I keep getting interrupted by

21:38

people and will reach out when I

21:40

have time. Some other important

21:43

details to note here are that Nathan left both

21:45

his phone and his wallet at home

21:47

when he disappeared and it's believed

21:50

that he would have only had a $20 bill

21:52

on him.

21:53

So that's all we know about the timeline

21:55

leading up to Nathan's disappearance.

21:58

He was last seen in the area

21:59

of Jane Street and

22:02

Shepherd Avenue West around 7

22:04

p.m. on May 12th, 2023.

22:08

We are now going to take a quick break to check in

22:10

with our sponsors. When we return,

22:12

we will talk about the searches, the investigation,

22:15

and where this case sits today.

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MintMobile.com for full terms.

23:38

I'm Kathleen Goldhauer, and

23:40

I'm the host of a new podcast, Crime

23:42

Story.

23:43

Every week, we bring you a different crime, told

23:46

by the storyteller who knows it best.

23:48

You got one witness who can't be

23:50

found. You got another witness who's murdered.

23:53

You got another witness who couldn't sugarcoat the story. I was getting

23:55

calls from Cosby's attorney threatening to sue every

23:58

day. Every crime in one way or another.

23:59

another is a reflection of who we are

24:02

as a people as a city as a country.

24:05

Find us wherever you get your podcasts.

24:16

And we are back. So

24:18

before the break, we outlined the life and disappearance

24:20

of 37 year old Nathan. Nathan

24:23

is a person with Down syndrome and according to

24:25

police Nathan was last seen on May 12, 2023 at

24:29

around 7pm in the

24:31

Toronto area of Jane Street and Shepherd

24:33

Avenue West. It is believed that

24:35

Nathan would have been traveling by foot,

24:38

but he also knew how to use the transit system.

24:40

The initial searches for Nathan were done

24:43

in the immediate vicinity of where he was last

24:45

seen. Police focused

24:47

on a 300 meter wide area around the intersection

24:50

of Jane Street and Shepherd Avenue West

24:52

before expanding that area to 500 meters. In

24:56

an article posted by the CBC on

24:58

May 17, 2023, duty inspector Ryan Ford said, Nathan has

25:04

Down syndrome and his functionality

25:06

is at a seven year old level. So

25:08

for someone with that type of need, our

25:10

level of concern is ramped up. The

25:13

police informed the public during a press conference

25:16

that they were checking hospitals, canvassing

25:18

areas with the help of a canine unit and

25:20

using drones alongside the missing persons

25:23

unit during

25:23

their searches.

25:25

Press was considered a level three search,

25:27

which is the highest level search for any missing

25:30

person. There was also a command

25:32

post set up at a local community center. Unfortunately,

25:35

no leads were uncovered during the

25:37

initial searches of the immediate area where

25:39

Nathan was last seen and the police have

25:42

since changed their tactics. They

25:44

are now focused on CCTV footage

25:47

and tips coming in from people who believe that they

25:49

may have spotted Nathan.

25:51

Speaking of sightings,

25:53

there was an unconfirmed sighting of him in

25:55

the Guelph, Ontario area. However,

25:57

the family really wants to point out that there

25:59

have been no... confirmed sightings of Nathan

26:02

since May 12th. For a sighting

26:04

to be confirmed, Nathan must have been seen

26:06

by someone who knows him personally to verify

26:08

it as him or there must be

26:10

video footage. We asked

26:13

Nathan's cousin about the searches and

26:15

the family's experience with law enforcement and

26:17

he had the following to say. Numerous

26:19

search efforts have been made to locate Nathan.

26:21

These included searches on foot in

26:24

Toronto, Kelso Conservation Area,

26:26

and the Waterloo region. However,

26:29

as time has passed and Nathan's whereabouts

26:31

remain uncertain, these ground searches

26:33

were discontinued because it was challenging to

26:36

pinpoint where to look. In

26:38

the beginning, we had a police officer who kept

26:40

us informed, which was quite useful.

26:43

However, when that support was withdrawn, we

26:45

stopped receiving any updates from the police.

26:48

Whenever we called to ask, we were told

26:50

there was nothing to share. Eventually,

26:53

we stopped making those calls because it felt like

26:55

a pointless effort. We hope

26:57

the police are still working on Nathan's case,

27:00

but it's challenging to feel that way when they

27:02

won't give us any updates, whether publicly

27:05

or for the family. In both

27:07

Toronto and the Waterloo region, Nathan's

27:09

friends, family, and volunteers distributed

27:12

and displayed missing persons flyers, which

27:14

played a crucial role in raising awareness about

27:16

his disappearance. Additionally,

27:19

a Facebook group named Search for

27:21

Nathan was initiated and it involved

27:23

contributions from his cousins, aunt

27:25

and uncle on his mom's side. This

27:28

group has been instrumental in garnering support

27:31

and sharing information about Nathan's

27:33

disappearance. We of course will link

27:35

the Facebook group in the show notes of this episode

27:37

and urge our listeners to join it to show

27:40

Nathan's family and loved ones that they

27:42

aren't alone.

27:43

The organization Please Bring Me Home has

27:45

also taken on Nathan's case. As

27:47

some of our listeners know, we have

27:49

worked with this amazing group in the past. This

27:52

past summer, in fact, we participated in

27:54

multiple ground searches for missing people

27:56

in our area that were organized

27:59

by these good folks.

28:00

On July 30th of this year,

28:03

Please Bring Me Home posted to their Facebook

28:05

page, today a small

28:07

group of Please Bring Me Home investigators, directors,

28:09

and searchers search for Nathan

28:12

with the guidance from a major advocate

28:14

involved in the efforts to locate Nathan.

28:17

As unfortunate as it is, as sad

28:19

as it is, as terrible as it is, we

28:22

search today under one of the many theories

28:24

being that Nathan went missing as the

28:26

result of misadventure. We

28:29

do this keeping hope at the forefront

28:31

of our minds that Nathan is out there and

28:34

that Nathan is okay.

28:36

We did not locate any evidence of Nathan

28:38

today, however, we were able to

28:40

cross a high likelihood area for

28:42

misadventure off of our list.

28:46

We do have a few sites on the agenda,

28:48

but remain hopeful that the theory of

28:51

him being out there and alive

28:53

to be the theory that is true. Don't

28:56

give up, remain hopeful. Now

28:59

before we move on to where things stand today

29:01

with Nathan's case, there are a few more

29:03

important details. First

29:06

off, Nathan does know how to use public transit,

29:08

but the family believes that he would have been traveling

29:11

on foot. It is possible

29:13

that he would ask people for rides and

29:16

keep in mind he left his wallet

29:18

at home and he had limited funds

29:20

on him, if any, he might have had

29:22

a $20 bill on him. Some locations

29:25

that Nathan is familiar with and

29:27

are therefore locations of interest are

29:29

as follows. Waterloo.

29:32

This is where Nathan spent the majority of

29:34

his life before he moved to Toronto

29:36

after the death of his father.

29:38

Nathan knows that he can access the internet

29:41

and other services at public libraries.

29:43

Malls would also be a place for him to find

29:46

a break from the elements. He was particularly

29:48

familiar with the Conestoga Mall in

29:51

Waterloo and I hope I'm saying that correctly.

29:54

Another big part of Nathan's life was the church.

29:57

He attended Woodside Church in Elmira.

30:00

It's also possible that Nathan would seek out

30:03

shelter at other churches. Nathan

30:06

loves Tim Hortons, A&W,

30:09

Dairy Queen, McDonald's, and

30:11

Walmart, so there is potential that

30:13

he would be drawn to those places of business

30:15

as well. He is a friendly, well-spoken,

30:18

and charismatic man, so it's not out

30:20

of the realm of possibility that he'd

30:22

be willing to ask strangers for help

30:25

or engage in conversation. But

30:27

we also need to keep in mind that Nathan seemed

30:30

wary and fearful of others in the

30:32

time leading up to his disappearance,

30:34

so it's also possible that he's hiding

30:37

or traveling at night to avoid being

30:39

seen if he in any way feels

30:41

like he might be in trouble.

30:56

Today in late October of 2023,

30:59

while we record this episode, the family

31:01

is still looking for answers. They are also

31:03

trying to raise funds to amass a team

31:05

to continue the search for Nathan.

31:07

The police are also still very active in their investigation,

31:10

and here's Nathan's cousin with the most recent

31:12

police update. The update

31:15

is that they are actively still on the case. They

31:17

are still doing everything, and when tips

31:19

come in, they are looking at those tips, so

31:22

that's where they are. They are really

31:24

looking hard for Nathan, and the police did

31:26

say this has hit all of them very

31:28

close to their hearts because of Nathan being

31:30

a vulnerable person. Nathan's

31:33

family is really struggling with his disappearance,

31:35

and when they spoke to City News, they said

31:37

that there have been many sleepless nights, many

31:40

nights of laughter and memories, and a lot

31:42

of crying. On September 16th,

31:44

a family member posted the following message on

31:46

the Facebook

31:47

page Search for Nathan.

31:49

We are tired of trying to have to answer on behalf

31:52

of Nathan's sister and brother-in-law, so

31:54

here we go. We have had no contact

31:56

from them in months. They have

31:58

not been helping search.

31:59

and just want us to let it go. They

32:02

were angry when we had groups going

32:04

out to search when they just want it dropped,

32:07

and even angrier that we tried alternative

32:09

methods to find Nathan. There are

32:11

a lot of parts of their story that do not match

32:13

up, and without hurting the ongoing investigation,

32:16

we wanted you all to know that the investigation

32:19

is continuing. So

32:21

with that, we asked Nathan's cousin as well

32:23

as his friend what their theories are in

32:25

regards to Nathan's disappearance, and here's

32:28

what his friend had to say. At this

32:30

point, Nathan has been missing for so long

32:32

that it's hard to not imagine a

32:34

worst case scenario.

32:36

Nathan has so many strong relationships with

32:38

people and hasn't reached out to anyone

32:40

that I know of. This is very

32:43

unlike Nathan. Nathan was

32:45

always in contact with people, whether it was

32:47

texting, calling, or Facebook Messenger.

32:50

Nathan's cousin, however, had a more ominous

32:52

answer

32:53

to our question.

32:55

As cousins, we do have many theories

32:57

about him missing. One of the theories

32:59

is that he went for a walk and someone took him

33:01

because he left his phone and wallet. The

33:04

other theory, Nathan's sister and brother-in-law

33:06

were very upset with the fact that Nathan had supposedly

33:09

spent what would have been their inheritance

33:11

from their dad's passing. We know

33:13

that his brother-in-law was upset with him at

33:15

times because of his poor hygiene and

33:17

he would tell us this. So

33:19

perhaps there was an argument between family

33:22

members or something else that sent Nathan out

33:24

that

33:24

night on his own. The

33:26

family is not giving up hope that they will be able

33:28

to find Nathan no matter the outcome.

33:31

They are determined to find answers as

33:33

well as some closure. Nathan's

33:35

cousin was quoted in a City News article stating,

33:38

we're absolutely hoping that we find him alive,

33:41

but in a worst case scenario, we may not.

33:44

We have to remember this is five months.

33:46

The family has come to terms with this, but

33:49

it could happen. We

33:50

could be finding him somewhere still alive.

33:53

At the start of this episode, we discussed the insufficient

33:56

infrastructure for alerts regarding missing

33:58

vulnerable individuals.

33:59

stating the need for candidates

34:02

to enhance its alert system beyond

34:04

AMBER alerts. In 2014,

34:07

the BC NDP proposed

34:09

a bill in British Columbia that would

34:11

use location-specific emergency alerts

34:14

for missing vulnerable persons, but

34:16

that bill was put on hold. Similar

34:19

legislation has been suggested at the provincial

34:21

level in other provinces, such as

34:23

Ontario, with MPP Monique

34:25

Taylor proposing one in 2023. In 2020,

34:30

the BC government committed to creating

34:32

a silver alert system for missing seniors.

34:35

The Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth was

34:38

asked to oversee his development. However,

34:40

three years later, this commitment remains

34:43

unfulfilled and there have been no updates

34:45

on the steps that have been taken to make this a reality.

34:49

Mike Farnworth did raise one issue with

34:51

the alerts. This issue has also

34:53

been discussed by other politicians. They

34:56

question whether an excessive number of alerts

34:58

can desensitize people over time, causing

35:01

them to ignore these notifications.

35:04

While we understand this concern, we

35:06

believe that despite the potential for alert

35:09

fatigue, it can be an essential

35:11

support for families and loved ones

35:13

of missing people. This critical

35:16

first 24-48 hours when

35:18

someone goes missing demands

35:20

that we use technology to involve

35:22

more people in the surge, potentially

35:24

making a significant difference. Nathan's

35:28

cousins strongly believe that such an alert

35:30

system should have been established long

35:32

ago and would have been crucial in

35:34

finding Nathan.

35:36

In Canada, when a vulnerable loved one

35:38

goes missing, families often struggle

35:40

to get help. The current Amber Alert

35:42

system is only for missing children.

35:45

This leaves family with missing elders, those

35:48

with cognitive issues, or people with disabilities

35:50

in a difficult situation. We

35:53

need a more robust system.

35:55

The Amber Alert system, which is meant specifically

35:58

for child abductions, doesn't

36:00

fit the wide array of people who

36:02

go missing in Canada. Without

36:05

a broader alert system, families

36:07

have to rely on their efforts to search for their missing

36:09

loved ones, which can be tough, time-consuming,

36:12

and further victimizes those who are already

36:14

hurting. We should have a better

36:16

system designed to help in these situations.

36:20

We need this update now to make sure that no

36:22

family has to go through the pain and the uncertainty

36:25

of a missing loved one. It's about keeping

36:27

our values and making our society

36:30

more caring and supportive for everyone.

36:33

The impact of Nathan's disappearance has

36:35

hit so many people who knew him and

36:37

loved him.

36:38

Just scrolling through the Search for Nathan

36:40

Facebook group makes it clear that Nathan

36:43

has a lot of people who deeply care for

36:45

him and desperately need answers.

36:48

We asked Nathan's cousin and his friend

36:51

to tell us their favorite memory of Nathan,

36:53

and they both had the same memory to share with us,

36:56

which we spoke about earlier. His

36:58

friend stated, My favorite memory

37:00

of Nathan happened at a Raptors game.

37:03

Nathan is an excellent dancer and got on the jumbotron.

37:06

His moves were so good and so enjoyed

37:08

by the crowd that he was up there for

37:11

over a full minute. He was invited

37:13

back to another game and got free tickets. After

37:16

his dancing, people congratulated him

37:18

during the game and on our way back

37:20

to my vehicle. He brought joy

37:22

to thousands of people. And if you

37:24

know Nathan, you know that isn't

37:26

surprising. He was on cloud

37:29

nine after that game. He still talks

37:31

about it so many years later. She

37:33

also added my second favorite memory is

37:36

just driving Nathan anywhere in my car.

37:38

He loved bumping the tunes and singing

37:41

and dancing. He also loved to chat

37:43

and we had a lot of good talks about life while

37:46

driving. When we asked Nathan's

37:48

friend how she had been impacted by him going

37:50

missing, she said, I'm devastated

37:52

that he hasn't been found. I

37:54

would give anything to see him show up at my

37:56

door and just see his face.

37:59

I want him to hang

37:59

out with my children. I want to take

38:02

him to McDonald's and just hang out. I

38:04

just want him back in my life. I

38:07

have so much guilt for losing touch with

38:09

him and would do anything to go back

38:11

in time to change that. I wish

38:14

I had invited him to live with me after his

38:16

father passed away and I will

38:18

live with that guilt forever.

38:20

And here's what his cousin had to say about the

38:22

impact on him and Nathan's other

38:24

family members. It

38:26

is truly unbelievable. It

38:28

doesn't make sense that Nathan would disappear on

38:30

his own and not reach out to his loved ones.

38:33

It is incredibly scary to think

38:35

about all of the possibilities. We

38:38

are all devastated that he is still missing

38:40

with many sleepless nights for our families,

38:42

including our children. There

38:45

are also many nights that we don't even want to have

38:47

a meal

38:48

or go out in public.

38:50

We have some mental health issues that we are all

38:52

taking meds for to help get through all

38:54

of this. We have also spent

38:56

many nights at the hospital with chest pains

38:58

as well. We all wish that we

39:00

would have got him to stay with one of us so he

39:02

would be in an environment that he would know. All

39:05

we want is him home safe and sound so

39:08

we can hear his laughter again. We

39:11

asked people in the Search for Nathan

39:13

Facebook group if they could share a memory

39:15

or thoughts about Nathan and here are some of those

39:18

responses. I was

39:20

his EA in grades 7 and 8. He

39:22

has such a hearty laugh. He was a real

39:24

joker and loved to joke around. He

39:27

loved food and sports and dancing.

39:30

I believe he was happy at school.

39:32

My heart breaks for him.

39:34

Another stated, I remember Nathan

39:36

being such a kind young man. He

39:38

lived at the same residential home as my daughter

39:41

for a few months. Then just one

39:43

day he was gone to Toronto, I guess. He

39:45

was so well liked by everyone there and so

39:48

happy. He loved to have conversations.

39:51

I am sick that he has gone missing and

39:53

cannot figure why he ever left here.

39:57

And another group member shared, before

39:59

COVID, I used to play lawn bowling

40:01

with him and his dad. It was fun. I used

40:04

to ride the bus with him I remember

40:06

how kind he was how hard his laugh was

40:08

and his warm

40:09

smile

40:10

If you're wondering how you can help in the search

40:12

for Nathan, there are a few things that you

40:14

can do Here's a message from Nathan's

40:17

cousin If you know anything,

40:19

please reach out to the Toronto Police Crime

40:22

Stoppers or the organization. Please bring

40:24

me home Join the Facebook group

40:26

search for Nathan for updates and find out

40:28

more on how you can help Keep talking

40:30

about Nathan so we can find him We

40:33

also have a GoFundMe to help bring Nathan home

40:35

and to help with bringing in private search teams

40:38

and with clerical costs We as a

40:40

family still search and read any tips

40:42

that come in daily If you think

40:44

you've seen Nathan or think you saw

40:46

something in the Jane and Shepherd West area

40:49

of Toronto around May 12th 2023 when

40:51

he went missing or have talked to him

40:53

at any coffee shop or fast food shops

40:56

or a mall Or talked to him before

40:58

that and remember what you talked about that

41:00

could help police Please contact

41:03

them. Nothing is too small of a tip Please

41:06

note that we will link the Facebook group and

41:08

the GoFundMe in the show notes of this episode

41:11

The Toronto Police can be reached at 416-808-2222 and Crime Stoppers

41:13

at 1-800-222-8477 Please

41:21

bring me home also has an anonymous tip

41:23

line at 1226-702-2728 At

41:28

the time of his disappearance Nathan

41:30

is described as a 37 year old male

41:33

who is living with Down syndrome He

41:35

is four foot six inches tall and weighs

41:37

around 170 pounds He

41:40

had brown hair and a full beard and

41:42

mustache when he was last seen We

41:44

will be posting photos videos

41:47

and Nathan's missing poster to our social

41:49

media at tntcpod on

41:51

both x and Instagram

41:54

as we mentioned at the top of this episode

41:56

the Canadian Down syndrome society is

41:58

an amazing resource and do it important

42:00

work across the country. You

42:02

can use their website, cdss.ca,

42:05

as a resource. They also accept donations,

42:08

corporate sponsorships, and offer many

42:11

ways to help. So please check out that

42:13

site. Now that's all we

42:15

have for this episode of True Nor True Crime. We

42:18

will be back soon with a new episode.

42:20

So until then, stay safe, everyone.

42:23

Stay safe.

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