Police have confirmed that a missing Toronto woman was in communication with murder suspect Dellen Millard prior to her disappearance last summer.

Laura Babcock, 24, was last seen in the area of Roncesvalles Avenue and Queen Street West on June 26, 2012.

Police hadn’t previously considered Babcock’s disappearance suspicious, but chose to open an investigation when Millard was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ancaster man Tim Bosma.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Det. Mike Carbone said Babcock, who had been working in the sex trade, was “romantically linked” with Millard at some point and made telephone contact with him on July 3.

An ex-boyfriend of Babacock’s had previously told CTV News that the July 3 phone call to Millard was the final call made using Babcock’s phone, but Carbone wouldn’t confirm that detail Tuesday, saying only that police have launched a “comprehensive examination” of the phone records.

“At this point we consider this a missing persons case, but obviously we will follow the evidence and if it becomes a case where there is evidence to show there was a homicide then certainly we will explore that possibility,” Carbone said.

Last week, Toronto police searched a North Dumfries farm belonging to Millard in connection with Babcock’s disappearance, but Carbone said no evidence was recovered as a result of that search.

Asked if anything fell through the cracks in the original investigation into Bosma's disappearance, Carbone flatly rejected the theory.

“The officers at 22 Division did their job,” he said. “In 2012 Mr. Millard would not have raised up (in the investigation) like he has at this point. He would have been just like any other person on those phone records.”

Bosma disappeared from his Ancaster, Ont., home on May 6 after taking two strangers on a test drive of a pickup truck he had posted for sale online. About a week later, police announced Bosma’s charred remains had been found in the Waterloo area.

Millard, of Etobicoke, and Mark Smich, of Oakville, have been charged with first-degree murder in Bosma's death.

Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.