As Toronto police continue their search for two missing men from the cityâs LGBTQ community, family members and friends attended a town hall meeting Tuesday night to discuss the troubling disappearances.
Andrew Kinsman, 49, was last seen on June 26, after attending Pride celebrations in the city. Selim Esen, 44, disappeared on April 14.
âThe disappearance of both men is considered suspicious,â police said in a âIt is out of character for both, as is the absence of communication with people they were habitually in contact with.â
Police said that both men were familiar with Torontoâs Church Street and Wellesley Street area, known as the gay village. Investigators said thereâs been some suggestion that Kinsman and Esenâs disappearances are somehow connected to the cases of three other men who went missing from the Church and Wellesley area between 2010 and 2012. So far, police say, no link has been established between the older and more recent disappearances, but all possibilities are being considered.
Kinsmanâs friends and family said he had deep roots in the community and it was not like him to simply take off without telling anyone.
âI never thought that it would ever happen to our brother,â one of his sisters, Karen Coles, told CTV Toronto before Tuesdayâs meeting. âYou hear about people who go missing, but you never think itâs going to affect you.â
Kinsmanâs other sister, Patricia Kinsman, said his disappearance has taken a toll on the family.
âWe go to bed thinking about Andrew, we wake up thinking about Andrew. Itâs all day, itâs life-consuming,â she said.
Police have put together a task force to investigate the missing person cases. Although theyâve received numerous tips, they havenât produced any major leads yet.
âWeâre not tying anything, weâre simply going by where the evidence leads us,â Supt. Tony Riviere said Tuesday.
âAnd as it stands right now, all the evidence does not substantiate any criminality. That doesnât mean everything is not on the table. It is.â
Kinsman is described as 6â4â, 220 pounds, with brown hair and a full beard. He has the word âQueerâ tattooed on his right arm.
Esen is described as 5â10â, 150 pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair and a full beard. Police say he was often in possession of a silver suitcase with wheels.
Anyone with information about the missing men is asked to contact police at 416-808-5100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at .
With a report from CTV Torontoâs Sean Leathong