Police have found the cellphone of missing Hamilton man Timothy Bosma and are following up on significant leads, including the statement of a Toronto man who may have met two suspects the day before the mysterious disappearance.
Bosma, 32, has been missing since Monday night and was last seen by his wife at around 9:20 p.m. when he stepped out of their Ancaster home with two unknown men who wanted to test drive his pickup truck.
Det. Sgt. Matt Kavanagh said police believe the same two men approached a business owner in Etobicoke, who had also listed his vehicle for sale online, just the day before on Sunday afternoon.
"It was almost an identical situation," he said.
That man told police he was immediately suspicious of the men because he saw them walk to his business, which is located in an industrial area. The men wanted to test drive his Dodge Ram – the same vehicle that Bosma listed for sale.
Kavanagh wouldn’t say what else made the witness suspicious but confirmed the Etobicoke man was not harmed by the suspects.
“Fortunately for this person, he is quite a large individual and I think he would have overpowered both of them,” he said. “That was probably his advantage.”
The witness was able to give police a more detailed description of one of the suspects. He said the man had several tattoos, one of which said “Ambition” on his wrist where one would normally wear a watch. The tattoo is said to have some kind of box frame around it.
“The tattoo itself is not uncommon but the placement of the tattoo on his wrist is quite unique,” said Kavanagh.
Cellphone located
The homicide unit detective said Bosma’s cellphone was located in an industrial area in west Brantford. The cellphone had been turned off shortly after he disappeared at around 10 p.m. Monday, and hasn’t been turned back on since.
Kavanagh also said Bosma’s vehicle was spotted in Brantford at around 10:10 p.m. Monday. He said detectives are in the process of gathering witness testimony and are asking businesses in the area to go through their surveillance tapes for any clues that might help police determine what happened to the missing man.
Kavanagh said he didn’t know how many people were in the pickup truck when it was spotted in Brantford.
"Police do not know the route that Mr. Bosma's truck went through the City of Brantford," he said.
After Bosma's cellphone was discovered, police conducted a large ground search of the area but no other clues to the man's disappearance were found. Police were seen near that area again Friday afternoon doing an extensive ground search.
Police ended their search for the day shortly before 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, police have also been able to trace the phone number the suspects used back to a cellphone that stopped working soon after Bosma disappeared.
The cellphone was purchased about three months ago and was bought under a fake name, Kavanagh said.
Detectives said that cellphone was used in Etobicoke the day before Bosma disappeared and that they are making efforts to contact everyone who received a phone call from that number.
“A lot of communities are upset about this. These (suspects) will be identified by the public,” said Kavanagh. “If you have knowledge, come forward and identify these individuals.”
Family holds out hope
In the meantime, Bosma’s family continues to hold out hope that the father of a two-year-old girl will be brought home safely.
Bosma’s wife Sharlene broke down crying Wednesday afternoon as she addressed the media, pleading for information on the whereabouts of her husband.
“I beg whoever has my husband to let him go, please call the police anonymously and let them know where he is,” she said through her tears at the news conference. “It’s just a truck. You don’t need him but I do and our daughter needs her daddy back so please, please let him come home.”
The missing pickup is described as a 2007 black Dodge Ram 3500 with license plate 7267ZW.
The first suspect is described as white, about six-foot-one and between 170 and 180 pounds. He had medium short brown hair and was wearing an orange shirt with long sleeves, blue jeans and sneakers. The second man is described as white with a medium build. He is around five-foot-nine with dark hair. He was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt that was pulled over his head. Police say both men could be in their mid-twenties.
Kavanagh said police have been inundated with calls from the public. As a result, they have set up a tip line. Anyone with information is asked to call 905-546-2100 or Crime Stoppers.
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