Murder of Orangeville nurse Sonia Varaschin unsolved after 16 years, $50K reward stands

OPP continues to seek leads in the 2010 killing of pediatric nurse Sonia Varaschin. A $50,000 reward remains for information leading to an arrest.

OPP renews appeal in 16-year cold case killing of Orangeville nurse

Sixteen years after the murder of Orangeville pediatric nurse Sonia Varaschin, Ontario Provincial Police have yet to identify her killer, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

Varaschin, 42, was last seen on Aug. 29, 2010, visiting her parents in Bolton. The following day, her white Toyota Corolla was discovered abandoned behind a downtown Orangeville business. Blood stains were found on the vehicle's rear bumper, trunk and driver's-side door.

The Orangeville Police Service, now defunct, immediately treated her disappearance as a homicide and requested OPP assistance. Varaschin's remains were recovered a week later in a wooded area off Beech Grove Sideroad, in a stretch of land between Orangeville and Caledon Village.

No one was ever charged in connection with her death, placing the case among Ontario's most enduring unsolved homicides.

"We have never wavered in our search to find Sonia's killer," said Det. Insp. Shawn Glassford of the OPP's Criminal Investigation Bureau. "Our determination remains as strong today as it was when this investigation began. Investigators continue to review information and follow up on leads. Someone knows the truth. It's time to come forward."

The OPP assumed full carriage of the investigation six years ago, after the Orangeville Police Service was disbanded. Detectives are continuing to review case materials and pursue outstanding leads.

A $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Varaschin's killer remains in place. Police are also re-releasing an investigative video produced six years ago documenting the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Orangeville OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122, or to submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime