Sonia Varaschin murder case — Investigators release video to identify witnesses

August 29, 2014 · 0 Comments

A video was released Friday, and police hope it will help in the investigation of the murder of Sonia Varaschin.
During the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2010, Ms. Varaschin, 42 at the time, was brutally murdered in her residence on Spring Street in Orangeville. She had been reported missing by her family after she failed to show up for work. Her blood-stained Toyota Corolla was located in an alley behind Orangeville Town Hall near Alexandria Park and blood was also found at her home.
The body of the Orangeville nurse was found about a week later (Sept. 5) when a citizen walking her dog chanced on the remains in a wooded area off Beech Grove Sideroad in Caledon.
Since then, a multi-jurisdictional Major Case Management (MCM) investigation, led by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), with the assistance of the Orangeville Police Service (OPS) has continued to follow up on all information and tips received from the public.
Part of the investigation has been focusing on analyzing video evidence obtained by police from around the various crime scenes relating to this murder. Investigators have released a surveillance video taken of a gazebo located in Alexandra Park off Second Street and First Avenue. The park is behind the Orangeville Town Hall and is in an area very close to where Ms. Varaschin’s vehicle was left early the morning she disappeared.
The video depicts two people in a gazebo prior to them walking away at about 5:58 a.m. that morning (Aug. 30). Police would like to identify these individuals to speak with them.
The quality of this video is grainy, but investigators are hopeful that these individuals will recognize themselves or that someone will be able to identify them and come forward to the police. These individuals are potential witnesses and are not suspects in this case. Anyone who recognizes these people is asked to contact the investigators immediately.
The Gazebo video link has also been uploaded to the OPP youtube page at http://www.opp.ca/media/gazebo/thegazebo.avi
OPP is encouraging everyone to view the video and contact investigators with any information.
This investigation is continuing under the direction of Detective Inspector Shawn Glassford of CIB.
“It has been four years since Sonia Varaschin was brutally murdered and we continue to have a dedicated multi-jurisdictional investigative team actively working on her case,” Glassford stated.
“Our investigators are as committed to finding Sonia Varaschin’s killer today as we were when it began in 2010,” he added. “We are determined to bring justice to Sonia and her family and to that end we will continue to follow up on all tips and leads we receive and are asking the public to continue provide information to our investigators. No tip is too small or insignificant. In fact, it could be the missing piece of the puzzle that we need to solve this case.”
OPP continues to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Ms. Varaschin.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the OPS Tip Line at 519-941-2522, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if you wish to remain anonymous.