Man charged after woman’s remains found by west-end creek

A Toronto man has been charged with indignity to a dead body after a woman’s remains were discovered in the city’s west end last week.

On Friday afternoon, a woman’s torso was found in a duffel bag by the side of a creek near Alliance Street, east of Jane Street.

An autopsy concluded the remains were of an adult woman whose identity and cause of death have yet to be disclosed.

On Tuesday morning, Det. John Margetson said “this is a suspicious death,” and that “substantial human remains” were still missing.

“I’d say we’re still looking for two-thirds of the body,” he said.

Investigators were searching the city’s transfer station at 400 Commissioners St. for garbage that may have been taken there from two crime scenes: 101 Humber Blvd. S., the accused’s apartment building, and 285 Shuter St., believed to be the victim’s apartment building.

Police were also combing for evidence at the transfer station on Disco Road near Pearson airport.

But Margetson admitted he wasn’t confident police would be able to find other remains, due to the amount of time that had passed and the removal of garbage from the apartment buildings.

Police believe the woman died within the past two weeks.

“That area that the remains were found, our dog handler said there were coyotes in the area,” he said, adding the other remains “could be anywhere in the city or outside the city.”

Eight dumpsters have already been searched in the city’s west end, he said, but due to the time frame involved, garbage may already have gone to transfer stations or could even have been taken to a dump in London, Ont., by now. It hasn’t been decided yet if the search would be expanded to London, he said.

Margetson said the victim and accused were acquaintances and both originally from Eritrea.

Both “have some history with each other,” but an exact relationship was yet to be established, he said.

Security video from the Shuter building was also being reviewed by police as part of the ongoing investigation.

Adonay Zekarias, 41, who is a permanent resident of Canada, was arrested on Sunday at his Humber apartment unit and charged with indignity to a dead body.

Zekarias made a court appearance on Tuesday morning wearing a hazardous materials suit and required medical attention.

His next court appearance is May 30.

With files from The Canadian Press