Police say they have located the body of a 36-year-old man wanted for the murder of his ex-wife, whose body was found in a natural area in Brampton last week.
On Jan. 13, the body of 28-year-old Toronto resident Heeral Patel was found by a person walking their dog in the area of Nexus Avenue and Fogal Road in Brampton at around 5:50 p.m.
Officers considered her death suspicious and later determined she was the victim of a homicide.
They named Patel’s ex-husband, Rakeshbhai Patel, as the primary suspect in the case.
Investigators say the couple were married for five years before they separated in Aug. 2019.
Last Thursday, police released Rakeshbhai’s image and said they were looking for him on the strength of a Canada-wide warrant for first-degree murder.
On Friday, Jan. 17, Toronto police in 23 Division located a male body they say they believe to be of Rakeshbhai Patel.
Peel Regional Police took carriage of the investigation and told CP24 on Monday afternoon they had positively identified the body as that of Rakeshbhai Patel.
Heeral Patel’s cause of death has not been publicly released.
Heeral was reported missing in Toronto on Jan. 12, was last seen alive in the area of Islington and Steeles avenues at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 11.
Toronto police set up a command post to search for Patel in the area of Finch and Steeles avenues, saying at the time that her disappearance was completely uncharacteristic and required a sustained ground search.
Heeral worked at a long-term care home in Vaughan.
