HARRISTON – Police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of a Kitchener man who was last seen in Harriston on Tuesday.
Wellington OPP responded to report of a missing person at a location on Jessie Street in Harriston on March 12 at around 6:30pm.
Police identified the missing individual as Jason John Brown, 43, of Kitchener.
On March 13 the OPP was notified by Durham Regional Police that Brown’s body was located on Stevenson Road North in Oshawa.
A post-mortem was completed on March 15 and an OPP press release states the death is being treated as a homicide.
Harriston residents reported police helicopters circling the town and heavy police activity on March 13, including a door-to-door canvass in and around the community.
OPP media relations officer Constable Josh Cunningham confirmed that activity is related to the homicide investigation, but declined to release further details.
“The circumstances around how Mr. Brown went missing are just currently being looked into by investigators,” said Cunningham.
“It’s too early in the investigation to comment on the events leading up to Mr. Brown’s death.”
The Wellington County OPP Crime Unit, OPP West Region Criminal Operations and OPP Forensic Identification Services (FIS) are investigating the circumstances of the death, under the direction of Detective Inspector Scott Moore of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).
The Office of the Chief Coroner, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, Durham Regional Police and Waterloo Regional Police are assisting with the investigation.
Cunningham noted the investigation is “in its infancy” and police are canvassing the public and asking anyone who knows of anything “unusual or suspicious” to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Anyone with information is urged to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on-line at www.csgw.tips. Tip providers may be eligible for a reward from Crime Stoppers of up to $2,000.
