HAMILTON, Ont. — A massive search for a southern Ontario man who vanished more than a week ago came to a grim conclusion Tuesday when police announced his body had been found.
Hamilton police Chief Glenn De Caire broke the news of Tim Bosma’s death “with a heavy heart,” he said.
Police are convinced human remains they found are Bosma’s, he said in a morning news conference.
“The evidence indicates that the remains have been burned,” he added.
Bosma, 32, never returned after going on a test drive with two men in his black Dodge Ram pickup truck, which he had posted for sale online.
Scores of police officers had been following up on hundreds of tips in the hopes of finding the married father of one after he disappeared last Monday.
The case also captured public attention, with many expressing concerns for his safety on social media.
A Facebook page in his honour was flooded with condolences Tuesday as the sombre news spread.
“The agony in this house is indescribable. There will be no further updates from this page. My prayers are with this wonderful family,” wrote Peter Lowe, a Bosma family friend who has been acting as their spokesman.
Police have arrested one suspect — 27-year-old Dellen Millard — and are seeking a second man, who has not been identified.
Millard is charged with forcible confinement and theft over $5,000, charges his lawyer says he intends to fight.
De Caire said officers are scouring several locations linked to Millard and have seized some evidence, but he would not elaborate.
On Monday, investigators were examining the Region of Waterloo International Airport, where Millard’s family owns a hangar.
They also planned to search a trailer they said belongs to the suspect after spotting a black pickup inside, but couldn’t confirm whether the truck is Bosma’s.
Police have asked that Bosma’s family be allowed to grieve in privacy.
Both his wife and his mother had issued emotional pleas for his safe return.