CANADA Canada - Abraham Wolfson, 62, Toronto, ON, 16 Dec 1970

[TheArtfulDetective]

Abraham Jacob Wolfson



Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: December 16, 1970
Location Last Seen: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Description:

• Date of Birth: circa 1908
• Age: 62 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 175cm / 5 ft 9 in
• Weight: 82kg / 181lb
• Hair Color: Grey with a bald spot.
• Eye Color: Unknown
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
• Clothing & Personal Items: A shirt and tie. Grey suit jacket. Grey pants. Dark-colored coat. Wide brimmed hat.
• Identifiers: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Wolfson, a South African millionaire, was last seen leaving a law office in Toronto, Ontario on December 16, 1970. He came to the city to arrange the sale of a property and acquired certificates valued at $50,000. He has never been heard from again.

His personal belongings, including his cheque books and Cape Province driver's license, were left behind. Despite a reward offered from his family, Wolfson's whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators:

• Toronto Police Service: 416-808-7411; missingpersons@torontopolice.on.ca
  Reference Case#: 2002-158224.D23 -or- TPS 1970-176062.D51

• Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at Canadian Crime Stoppers Association. Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping.

• Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at: canadasmissing-disparuscanada@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

NamUs Case Number: Not listed
NCMPUR Case Number: 2020007336

Canada's Missing | Case details
Case View – Ontario's Missing Adults
Clutter of paper left behind by missing South African millionaire Abraham Jacob Wolfson include his Cape Province driver's license, notes, letters, ch(...) – All Items – Digital Archive : Toronto Public Library

 

[Nate_Bro]

Did he actually get some amount of cash money (how does a 'certificate' work?) from his trip to Toronto the day he went missing? Maybe he was ill and dying, and was ashamed to have to do that in front of his loved ones. He could have taken money and gone elsewhere to die. If that was the US, there are a couple of 'possible'.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[musicaljoke]

Did he actually get some amount of cash money (how does a 'certificate' work?) from his trip to Toronto the day he went missing? Maybe he was ill and dying, and was ashamed to have to do that in front of his loved ones. He could have taken money and gone elsewhere to die. If that was the US, there are a couple of 'possible'.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

View attachment 425060

If he had gone to the US, he may have taken at least his cheque book and driver's licence.

Bank certificates are like term deposits where the money is put into the bank for a determined length of time for a guaranteed interest rate. One might use this as a no risk investment when there is no need to withdraw the funds before the end of the certificate period. We call them GICs these days, but they may have been called simply "certificates" in the 70s. The amount suggests that he completed the sale of his property and invested the money in a bank certificate. Since it was half of his asking price for the sale of the property, we don't know from the article, if that's the full amount he received, or if he had cash in his possession.

There is also a certification of Disposition of Canadian Property by Non-Residents that is issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency, but I doubt that is what is meant here, because that certification is the response to an application to the CRA which takes longer than just walking out of a lawyer's office.