It's now been two weeks since Barrie police received the call that Autumn Shaganash was missing and there are still no leads as to her whereabouts.
The 26-year-old was last seen leaving the home of a family member on Friday, June 9 in the Allandale neighbourhood, near Burton Avenue and Frank's Way. Police say they were notified early in the afternoon of June 12 and a full report was taken, launching the investigation.
There have been several searches, one of which happened last week at Sunnidale Park, but Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon said there is still no new information.
“It was two weeks today that she was reported to us as missing and, with each day that passes, it becomes more and more painful for the family,” said Leon. “To add to that, it also makes it more difficult to police (in the timeline of events with our search).”
Police have said one of Shaganash's family members received a text message from her on June 10, and then she was unreachable.
Leon said family members have told them this is out of character for Shaganash and that, combined with the amount of time that passed before she was reported missing, has investigators unsure of where to start.
“We’ve said this before, but it really does seem that she has vanished into thin air at this point despite us utilizing several investigative techniques," he said. "The difficulty here is the time of her last seen appearance and when we were informed there was a concern. Over 48 hours was the difference and that puts her anywhere and us with little to no leads.”
Leon wouldn’t disclose what the last text from Shaganash to her family said, but did note there was a concern stemming from it.
“There was enough concern from the family that, upon receiving the text, they reached back immediately, but her phone was inoperative at that point,” he said.
Police also say they have used social media extensively, because that was Shaganash’s primary means of communication.
“Police began their search in the downtown area, because oftentimes people will go for a walk downtown. Last week, we searched Sunnidale Park as a tip said she may have been last seen there, but that turned up nothing,” Leon said.
The family has gone public in media reports saying they believe human trafficking is at play in her disappearance and have hired a private detective.
Leon said everything is being looked at.
“I think the abrupt manner in which communication just stopped has the family concerned there is that possibility she could have met somebody. We know that Friday she was staying at a friend's place, but unfortunately no one knows who that friend is,” he said.
Shaganash was wearing a black hoodie, shorts, slip-on Puma sandals, and had a black/tan purse.
Anyone with information about Autumn Shaganash's whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.
