Ontario Provincial Police have renewed their appeal for information in the unsolved murder of Mohamed Amin Ismail. The 25-year-old’s body was found along Watson Road North, just outside of Guelph, on Aug. 4, 2020. He had recently moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo area from Ottawa. A postmortem exam determined Ismail’s cause of death was homicide. ‘A missing piece’ Detective Inspector Michael Moore, who works with the OPP’s Criminal Investigation Branch, said he hasn’t given up hope the six-year-old case can be solved. He believes there are people living in Wellington County, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa who have important information. “This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,” said Moore. “Although progress has been made, we’re hoping that there’s members of the public out there that do know something that could help this homicide investigation. Given the passage of time, we’re hoping that they have the courage to come forward.” Investigators are asking people to think back to days before Ismail’s death, including where he went, who he was with and any unusual sightings in the area. “Maybe they can look at the picture in the media and recognize Mohamed Ishmael,” Moore said. The information could become significant when combined with the evidence already collected during the investigation. “It could be a missing piece for us to move this investigation forward in a positive manner so we can try to give the Ismail family some answers as to what happened to their 25-year-old son.” Police have not said how Ismail died, only that some information is being withheld to protect the integrity of their investigation. Moore declined to say if any persons of interest have been identified. “I’m not at liberty to expand on whether or not there are suspects,” he explained. “But again, it’s our focus to continue the investigation. This is not going to stop. It’s going to keep pushing forward.” Unanswered questions While Watson Road North is well-travelled, Moore described the surrounding area as rural with relatively few residences. Ismail was found lying in a ditch on the southwest corner around 7:15 p.m. “His body was clearly there before that time period,” Moore said. “It’s highly unlikely that this would have occurred during broad daylight hours.” Investigative techniques and forensic capabilities, he noted, have also advanced over the last six years. “We continue to work with our partners at the Centre for Forensic Sciences as they expand their capabilities and testing. I won’t get into specifics, with regards to discussing evidence that we have on the investigation. But I can tell you that progress is being made and we continue to advance in a positive manner.” The investigation involves multiple OPP units, with help from police services in Ottawa, Waterloo Region and Peel Region. Family still searching for answers The family remains a major motivation for investigators. “I have personally gone to see them a few times since I became involved in this investigation in 2023,” said Moore. “We can’t bring [Ismail] back, but we want to be able to hold those responsible for this homicide accountable, as well as provide the family with those answers.” Moore acknowledged that witnesses may be concerned about coming forward, particularly after so much time has passed, but urged anyone with information to consider the impact. “I would urge them to take a minute to reflect and put themselves in a situation where the Ismail family is right now. They are left with unanswered questions with regards to what happened to their son and why this occurred.” Renewed appeal Police said there are several ways to contact investigators. They can call Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or the dedicated tip line at 1-833-941-4477. Anonymous information can be shared with Crime Stoppers.
