(ORANGEVILLE, ON) – On Monday, August 30, 2010, officers from the Orangeville Police Service (OPS) began an investigation into the disappearance of 42-year old Sonia VARASCHIN after she failed to show up for work that day.
A few days later (Sunday September 5, 2010), while walking in a wooded area just off of Beechgrove Sideroad, which is east of the Town of Caledon, a citizen located what would later be identified through a post mortem examination to be the human remains of Sonia Varaschin. The post mortem confirmed that she was a victim of homicide.
For the past five years, detectives from both the Orangeville Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have actively been investigating the murder of Sonia Varaschin. The investigation which remains ongoing is being conducted under the direction of Detective Inspector Shawn Glassford of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).
Detective Inspector Glassford states “The public has been very actively involved in this investigation from the outset and continues to play an integral and supportive role. We have received over 1000 tips and believe that this murder will be solved with a key piece of information that comes from a person within the community. No matter how small the information, each and every tip has and will continue to be thoroughly investigated”.
“A $50 000 reward that has been authorized by the Government of the Province of Ontario remains in place for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Sonia Varaschin, anonymity is guaranteed through Crime Stoppers and our dedicated tip line remains active. These viable options remain available for providing additional information that may help to identify and bring Sonia’s killer to justice“ states Detective Inspector Glassford.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to please contact the Orangeville Police Service Tip Line at (519) 941-2522 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. To view the reward poster click: http://www.opp.ca/ecms/files/275540403.4.pdf.
A contributed photograph of Sonia Varaschin has been uploaded to the OPP News Portal for use by the media if required.