Toronto Police said Tuesday there is still no suspect in the abduction of Cecilia Zhang, the nine-year-old girl who has been missing for 23 days.
The lead investigator on the case, Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Dave Perry went out of his way at a press conference Wednesday morning to end speculation that Cecilia's parents have not been co-operative with police and are considered suspects.
“They are not suspects,” Sgt. Perry said. “Nor is there any evidence to suggest that they have in any way anything to do with the disappearance of their daughter.”
The Grade 4 student disappeared from her parent's North York home on Oct. 20. She was discovered missing when her mother went into her bedroom to wake her for school.
A school photo of Cecilia Zhang, taken on Sept. 26. (Toronto Police handout)
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Toronto Police still have not been able to locate everyone who has lived in the Zhang family home at some point. Sgt. Perry appealed to anyone who is a former tenant or visitor to the Zhang home to contact police.
There were five student tenants, all of whom recently moved out, living in the home at the time of the abduction.
“We have a fairly extensive list,” he said. “We are now trying to locate and interview those people as we speak. We haven't successfully located them all, but we will.”
Sgt. Perry said the number of those not located is “in the dozens,” but the tenants who have been questioned have been helpful and are not considered suspects in the abduction.
The investigator said he has no reason to believe Cecilia has been taken from Canada.
“We don't have any direct indication of where Cecilia is right now,” Sgt. Perry said. “We've taken every possible step to ensure that if there was an attempt to remove her from Canada that we would find out, but we don't have any direct lead on that.”
Sgt. Perry also spoke directly to the suspects in the case.
“Cecilia, her family and the community have suffered enough,” he said. “This is your opportunity to right a wrong. Take control of a bad situation and return Cecilia now. Pick whatever method you choose for her safe return. ... Do the right thing and do it now.”
Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino has been critical of the media recently, saying they have not given the Cecilia investigation the continued prominent coverage it deserves.
Few details of the investigation have surfaced, with most attention being given to two phone calls made the Monday morning to the Zhang home before Cecilia was reported missing.
In the past two weeks, Toronto Police have been particularly quiet.
“I think the media has done a good job with their coverage on this investigation,” Sgt. Perry said Wednesday. “...I think [the media] have played a significant role, in the early weeks especially. Cecilia was front page, lead story every day. We've got an entire country looking for her.”
Police also released a new school picture of Cecilia that was taken Sept. 26 and a video of Cecilia's March birthday party on their Web site.
The Toronto Police have issued a $50,000 reward for her safe return, while the local Chinese-Canadian community also announced a Help Find Cecilia trust fund, with $15,000 raised in donations.
Anyone with information on Cecilia's whereabouts can call the English-language hot line at 416-808-8390 or the Chinese-language one at 416-808-3681.
