It’s been exactly one month since Nathan, a 37-year-old man with Down syndrome, went missing from North York.
Late Sunday afternoon, the missing man’s family made a plea for any information that could lead to his safe return.
Speaking to reporters at Kitchener’s Victoria Park, Nathan’s cousin, Jason, who asked to not use his last name, said “nothing is too small to tell us.”
“We just want to know (he) is safe and we just want to bring him home no matter what,” he said.
“All we want is Nathan home. … If you see him, please follow him, call his name and invite him for a coffee, talk about the Blue Jays, talk about the Leafs."
Jason said they believe Nathan, who is a big Toronto sports fan, may have been trying to come to the Kitchener-Waterloo area “where his father passed away in December 2022.”
“Buddy, just come home. You’re definitely not in trouble by any of us. We just want to make sure you’re okay, and let’s get to that Leafs game,” he said, adding while police have received several calls about “lookalikes”, there have been no confirmed sightings of Nathan.
“We just want a little bit of closure. That's all we're looking for."
Jason noted that his cousin is also familiar with St. Jacobs Market as he used to live and work in that area. He said that Nathan’s late mother and grandmother also used to have a booth there. Nathan also knows the neighbouring community of Elmira as he used to go to church there, he said.
Aside from being a Toronto sports fan, Nathan, whom his cousin described as “very friendly” with a “contagious, deep belly laugh,” also likes playing video games and watching soap operas and wrestling.
Friend Kathleen Matthews said Nathan is “very charismatic and caring and funny and silly,” someone “you are instantly drawn to.”
Matthews told CTV News Toronto during a recent interview that she met Nathan when she worked for the Best Buddies program, which pairs university students with individuals with disabilities in the community to forge friendships. She said she was actually paired with Nathan’s best friend, but she and Nathan got to know each other and became close. They even went to a few Raptors games together.
Nathan, who is originally from Kitchener and had only relocated to Toronto recently, was last seen on May 12 at 7 p.m. near Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue West.
Toronto police said they’re concerned for his safety as he is “unable to care for himself,” and functions at the level of a seven-year-old and requires additional supports.
Nathan, who has Down syndrome, is described as 37-years-old, four-feet-six-inches tall, and roughly 170 pounds. At the time of his disappearance, he had a full beard and moustache and was last seen wearing a hoodie with green stripes, black pants, black shoes, and a Blue Jays baseball cap.
Investigators said so far there is no indication of foul play in connection with this missing persons case.
In the days after Nathan went missing, Toronto police conducted a Level Three search, the highest level of search for a missing person, in the North York neighbourhood where he was last seen.
A command post was also temporarily set up outside Oakdale Community Centre on Grandravine Drive as investigators scoured a 500-metre area.
“We’re still following up on all the tips we’re receiving, and asking that people contact us with any information, even if they think it’s not important. We’re still actively trying to find Nathan," a Toronto police spokesperson told CTV News Kitchener on Monday.
In the last month, the missing man’s family and friends have also organized a number of ground searches with teams of volunteers in the woods in Campbellville and around Waterloo Region. They’ve also been putting up flyers and have set up a “Search for Nathan” group on Facebook.
Anyone with any information about Nathan’s whereabouts is urged to contact Toronto police at 416-808-3100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
With files from CTV News Kitchener and CTV News Toronto’s Hannah Alberga and Abby O’Brien.
