The ex-boyfriend of a missing Richmond Hill woman who was initially charged with her kidnapping is now facing a charge of first-degree murder in connection with her disappearance, police have confirmed.

Elnaz Hajtamiri was abducted on Jan. 12, 2022 from a residence in Wasaga Beach. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

"The investigation has passed for 22 months, and her whereabouts remain unknown, and today the Crown Attorney has moved to charge Mohamad Lilo for her murder," OPP Det. Insp. John Power told CTV News Barrie on Thursday.

The OPP previously said that three suspects dressed in “police gear” forcibly dragged Hajtamiri from a family member’s home. They all fled the scene in a stolen white Lexus RX sport utility vehicle, police said.

So far, four people have been charged in connection with Hajtamiri’s Jan. 12 kidnapping, including Lilo. A fifth suspect, 35-year-old Deshawn Davis, of Toronto, remains outstanding. He is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.

Lilo is also facing separate charges in connection with a frying pan attack in Richmond Hill in December 2021 that left Hajtamiri with a serious head wound. He has been in custody since his arrest.

Six other suspects have been charged in connection with that incident.

The charges against Lilo have not been tested in court.

“We continue to strive to identify the persons who are responsible for her abduction and hold them accountable and to bring the answers to the family that they're seeking,” Power said.

"The investigation is active and ongoing, and we are continuing to look for Elnaz's whereabouts and to bring closure to the family.”

CTV News’ Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis weighs in

Speaking with CP24 late Thursday afternoon, CTV News’ Public Safety Analyst and former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis weighed in on this complex case sharing his analysis on what the upgraded charge against Lilo means and his thoughts on the fact that it was laid without a preliminary hearing.

For starters, Lewis said he believes that the police have moved forward with seeking a charge of first-degree murder against Lilo because they have “good evidence” to show that Hajtamiri is no longer alive.

“And I know all along the way that the detective inspector from the OPP said very nicely that they prayed she was still alive, but their biggest fear is that she isn't. Well being charged of first-degree murder says a lot, obviously, so they have evidence to prove that she's deceased,” Lewis said, adding the fact that Hajtamiri hasn’t been heard from and that her phone and credit cards haven’t been used are other strong indicators that she is likely deceased.

“(The police) must have witnesses that are giving them information, credibly, that she is deceased, perhaps exactly how that occurred, although time will tell during the course of the trial.”

As for the direct indictment, which is a special power that can be used by the Attorney General to send a case directly to trial as they more than likely have grounds to show that there is a reasonable prospect of conviction, Lewis said this is a “fairly rare thing,” but can be a useful tool.

“I've never had a direct case myself, ever, but ultimately, it speeds the process up, which is particularly advantageous when this guy's already charged with kidnapping and assault sometime prior. And of course, a lot of the information related to the kidnapping will be evidentiary in the homicide trial, so it probably makes sense,” he said.

Lewis went on to say that another possible reason for a direct indictment is when an investigation is ongoing and, in this case, with so many people already charged, there could be some of the accused who have already given evidence and are prepared to testify against Lilo.

Lastly, he said that it can be challenging to prove that the accused is guilty of first-degree murder when there may not be physical evidence, like a body, but it’s not impossible.

“We've had a number of first-degree murder convictions over the years where a body was never found,” he said, adding in the case of Hajtamiri, there may be other clues like blood found or witnesses who saw and heard something, coupled with the fact that the victim hasn’t been seen of heard from since her Jan. 12, 2022 disappearance.

“So you know, it's not impossible at all. … But it's a difficult process for conviction because one of the elements of the offence is that someone is dead and to prove someone’s dead is not easy.”

Lewis said it’s likely that the police have advised Hajtamiri’s family that she is dead but aren’t telling them all of the details due to the upcoming trial.

“It’s a very difficult case all around, particularly for the families,” he said.

A $100,000 joint OPP and York Regional Police reward is still available for anyone with information that will lead to Hajtamiri’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or the dedicated #BringElnazHome tip line at 1-833-728-3415, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.crimestopperssdm.com.

With files from CTV News Barrie’s Kim Phillips.