CANADA Canada - Sonia Varaschin, 42, Orangeville, 29 Aug 2010 - #2

[Chorley8]

"It remains a mystery why Varaschin’s body was dumped on this desolate gravel road with a few homes nearby.

There are countless side roads much closer to where she lived in Orangeville."

This from the Star in August. I know this has been discussed. The possibilities seem to be 1. the location was known to the perp I believe LE suspect this 2. the perp wanted to visit the remains (this wouldn't preclude 1. of course) 3. the perp drove around possibly having a different plan at that point like "disappearing" Sonia by going back to the house and cleaning things up 4. something close to chance he drove around and finally acted at that point and it seems significant to us and to LE but is simply chance.

Also do we know absolutely for sure that Sonia was dead when she was taken from the house?

 

[Chorley8]

Can someone remind me what Sonias parents did for careers - not sleuthing them obviously the mother I remember seemed very dignified, impressive just trying to get context.

 

[Sillybilly]

Chorley made a post over in Audrey Gleave's thread that made me think:

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Audrey Gleave, retired teacher, viciously murdered in home, Ancaster Ontario, #5

Michele thinks back to that Sunday, the last time she saw her daughter alive. There was lunch at the family home in Bolton and later a message left on the phone.

“She asked if I would bake a cake because a friend was coming from Jasper, Alberta, on Wednesday,” Michele says.

I wonder if Sonia's family knows who this friend from Jasper is, or if it is someone Sonia met online. Jasper is only about 4,000 pop (as I type this, am thinking of Stephanie Stewart who disappeared from outside Jasper August 26 2006).

It seems that while visiting her mom on Sunday, Sonia had not asked her mom to bake the cake, but later on Sunday, had news that this UID person would be visiting within a few days. IF it was someone Sonia met online, they may have called her to say they would arrive from out of town Wednesday, but they were in fact in town and had called simply to ensure that Sonia was at home alone when she could be attacked.

 

[Chorley8]

Can someone remind me what Sonias parents did for careers - not sleuthing them obviously the mother I remember seemed very dignified, impressive just trying to get context.

Answering myself father was a retired plumber.

 

[Chorley8]

Chorley made a post over in Audrey Gleave's thread that made me think:

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Audrey Gleave, retired teacher, viciously murdered in home, Ancaster Ontario, #5



I wonder if Sonia's family knows who this friend from Jasper is, or if it is someone Sonia met online. Jasper is only about 4,000 pop (as I type this, am thinking of Stephanie Stewart who disappeared from outside Jasper August 26 2006).

It seems that while visiting her mom on Sunday, Sonia had not asked her mom to bake the cake, but later on Sunday, had news that this UID person would be visiting within a few days. IF it was someone Sonia met online, they may have called her to say they would arrive from out of town Wednesday, but they were in fact in town and had called simply to ensure that Sonia was at home alone when she could be attacked.

Is it possible Sonia is already being "visited" when she makes that call, is forced to, motive to keep Mom tied up with cake baking (I don't know if she is the kind of mother who would drop in unannounced.) I don't know their relationship but it seems like a potentially odd request, to ask that without asking first if she has the time etc. Also did she say what kind of case?

If it is a stollen cake that would of course be remarkable given Audrey. And good point SL about the fact that she didn't ask when she visited her Mom earlier. I am waiting for No Stone's reaction to this since we have potentially minor possibly slightly bizarre connection between the two cases around the theme of the cake.

And yes, Jasper interesting that is a fair trip I wonder who it was. Obviously we can't expect her mother to come on WS but if she is reading.......

 

[matou]

Isn't Jasper a big ski resort area? There's a National Park there. She was very into skiing and this could be a girlfriend too and not a online dating prospect. JMO

 

[Chorley8]

Isn't Jasper a big ski resort area? There's a National Park there. She was very into skiing and this could be a girlfriend too and not a online dating prospect. JMO

Yes of course there are MANY innocent possibilities and you are right Matou for the sake of argument I was assuming, imagining, the visitor to be male.

(I was just "thinking along" with those who think the AG and SV cases might be linked, just noticing the motif of the cake in both cases).

From what we know I doubt they are linked but that doesn't mean there isn't something that if we knew it would link them. My concern would be that LE is beginning with a false starting point i.e. that the killer was familiar with Orangeville. I think it is likely likely something further in S.'s past at least a few months further if not years further. I am not absolutely convinced the killer would have to be familiar with the road where she was left or with Orangeville in general.

 

[Sillybilly]

Isn't Jasper a big ski resort area? There's a National Park there. She was very into skiing and this could be a girlfriend too and not a online dating prospect. JMO

For sure matou ... it could be totally innocent and might even be a long-time friend that her family is familiar with. Maybe LE has already checked into that person and eliminated them. We know there are a zillion peeps who DIDN'T kill Sonia, but at least one person who DID. Just trying to think of possibilities.

Sonia was known to have a POF account (shudders when thinking of Johnny Altinger's fate when he met up online with Mark Twitchell who projected himself as a female on POF). We know that anyone can project themselves on the net, so was this person truly a friend from Jasper, or someone who projected similar interests to a trusting and unsuspecting female. (I know teenagers think they have 1500 "friends" when in RL, they may know only a small fraction of those online friends.) Could also be someone who lived locally, had eyes for Sonia and knew she was an avid skiier, and used that as an excuse to befriend her.

The things i find slightly odd about the cake are ... first, that she would ask her Mom to bake a cake when it is a simple enough task for most people to do themselves, and secondly ... that she would welcome an out-of-town friend with a cake to begin with (unless it was some special event in the friend's life). Had Sonia asked her Mom such a favour in the past, or was this an unusual request by Sonia, and possibly intended as an alert that something was out of the ordinary? And thirdly, the cake didn't seem to be a topic of conversation during her visit a few hours earlier, so it is something that was "different" in the last few hours of Sonia's life?

 

[Sillybilly]

Re lunch at the family home on Sunday .. was this perhaps an après-church lunch? I know Sonia's service was held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Bolton. Just wondering if Sonia attended church regularly on Sunday mornings with her family.

 

[dotr]

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wanted-recherches/mur-meu/ghanad-eng.htm
Still wonder if SV (and maybe others besides Margarita S) came across this guy - he really got around...

"On July 4 2011 GHANAD murdered an 18 year old Toronto area woman. He then drove to Mexico, took a flight to Germany, and then continued on to Tehran, Iran, his place of birth.

GHANAD is a truck driver by trade with no fixed address. His trucking routes took him along the East coast from Canada to Florida, as well as through Western Canada into California and Texas.

GHANAD is known to live out of his truck or stay in hotels. He likes to drink and very often frequents dance bars. He uses the Internet to connect with women on dating sites. He is known to seek out prostitutes. GHANAD spent time in Indonesia before coming to Canada.

CONSIDERED TO BE VIOLENT TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF.

Working in conjunction with Durham Regional Police Service.


Description:
•Middle Eastern Male
•Date of Birth: 1976-01-31
•Height: 5'9.5" (177 cm)
•Hair: Black
•Eyes: Brown


Poster (322 KB)

Warning: Take no action to apprehend these persons yourself. Report any information to the nearest RCMP detachment or the police in your area or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. In the province of Québec, please call Info-Crime Québec at 1-800-711-1800"

 

[dreamwatcher]

Thank you Missbrooks for your resonse.
1. Your ex wears 91/2 sized boots.
2. Your ex bought them in 2009, One year after Sonia's murder.
3. You live in the Orangeville area.
4. In 2012 your ex's dna was tested.

My conclusion is that law enforcement is grasping at straws here.

 

[Chorley8]

"The things i find slightly odd about the cake are ... first, that she would ask her Mom to bake a cake when it is a simple enough task for most people to do themselves, and secondly ... that she would welcome an out-of-town friend with a cake to begin with (unless it was some special event in the friend's life). Had Sonia asked her Mom such a favour in the past, or was this an unusual request by Sonia, and possibly intended as an alert that something was out of the ordinary? And thirdly, the cake didn't seem to be a topic of conversation during her visit a few hours earlier, so it is something that was "different" in the last few hours of Sonia's life"? (From SB few posts back)

I think these are all excellent questions. And yes we don't what the relationship exactly is between Sonia and Mom though they seemed to be close but yes you would think a bit more explanation would be needed not simply a friend is coming and you need to back a cake. Did Sonia want to keep her Mom busy? Less likely but possible was Sonia already being "held" at this point and the eventual killer didn't want anyone dropping by. Or as SB suggested was it a ruse by somone? But then why the cake?

I think because so much was made of the cake by P.K. and if we were trying to find commonalities............. The thing in common could be that a murder occurs while a cake is being baked as in "in the time it takes to bake a cake".

The killer of Shumakova that D mentioned: that homicide of a lovely young woman got relatively little coverage. Ghanad's bio is a bit strange no address and yet a truck driver. Dumped in Uxbridge definite biker territory though I know different people here might think different things about bikers. I didn't know about the internet aspect. So he should be considered for Sonia probably has been (?). Overall I got the strange feeling that LE wasn't really looking for him could be wrong.

It is good to keep the threads going. I feel like half a lunatic on the Mariam M. thread since I am the only one writing though I see at times there are as many as four "guests" so who knows. And for those who think Mariam (assuming those were really her remains they tell us almost nothing) was murdered maybe G. could be considered there both from 1. the internet angle and/or 2. if it was some type of "hit" (even if parents were the target overall trying to hurt them).

I believe he had a nice car. One interesting commonality between Shumakova and Sonia would be the dumping of the body a fair distance away although Shumakova was apparently lured or taken from the Entertainment district in Toronto.

Now if Sonia's murderer was hired that would throw in a whole new aspect. It as been broached here just broached that there might be more to the hospital dosage story and the Workmans comp dispute story. Look I hope LE is doing the right thing and they have the correct DNA already ready to be tested but I have a terrible feeling they are on the wrong track.

 

[Chorley8]

I would love to know if Sonia's Mom was inclined to "just drop by" unannounced. Somehow I am guessing yes and that the cake story fits into that she was to be kept busy.

 

[flipflop]

Isn't Jasper a big ski resort area? There's a National Park there. She was very into skiing and this could be a girlfriend too and not a online dating prospect. JMO

IIRC SV's facebook had pics of her skiing, wondering if that was in Jasper? Anyone remember?

found it....
http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&s...=189&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:109



Just answered my own question...this pic states that she visited Whistler in BC and Blue Mountain in Collingwood.

 

[Chorley8]

IIRC SV's facebook had pics of her skiing, wondering if that was in Jasper? Anyone remember?

Just answered my own question...this pic states that she visited Whistler in BC and Blue Mountain in Collingwood.

"In a recent interview, a resident who lives near Beech Grove Sideroad, said she’s convinced whoever dumped Sonia’s body was “familiar” with that exact spot.

“Realistically, if you’re going to get rid of a body, why wouldn’t you have come up further and gone into the swamp?” said the woman who asked her name not be used. “There’s a massive swamp here and 80 acres of conservation.”

Last two paragraphs are from the article Flip Flop linked to. The conundrum is: 1. on one hand why not dump the body somewhere more proximate? 2. If you are going to choose somewhere more remote why not walk a bit further and put her in the swamp or further in the bush?

I think we are forgetting the killer must have been freaking out by this point. I am not sure we can expect things to make "sense" for all we know the killer is psychotic or in a fugue like state or just terrified and not thinking straight by this point. We don't know what they were thinking.

 

[Sillybilly]

I would love to know if Sonia's Mom was inclined to "just drop by" unannounced. Somehow I am guessing yes and that the cake story fits into that she was to be kept busy.

I doubt Mom would drop by Chorley ... her parents live in Bolton which is 36km/42 mins from Orangeville.

 

[Valleyboy]

I doubt Mom would drop by Chorley ... her parents live in Bolton which is 36km/42 mins from Orangeville.

The distance from Orangeville, Ontario to Bolton, Ontario is approximately 18.2 miles (29.4 km).

 

[Sillybilly]

The distance from Orangeville, Ontario to Bolton, Ontario is approximately 18.2 miles (29.4 km).

I used google maps, so it must be wonky. What did you use?

Here's a cut & paste of 3 different routes google maps gives for Bolton to Orangeville

Suggested routes

34.9 km, 38 mins
Regional Road 50 and ON-9 W

38.4 km, 42 mins
Airport Rd/Regional Road 7

42.2 km, 48 mins
Hwy 10 N

In my earlier post, the distance google maps showed was for Orangeville to Bolton, but it changes when you switch it around and enter directions for Bolton to Orangeville ... go figger

ETA: Yahoo Maps is showing:

Distance: 33.72 kilometers — Time: 25 mins

and Bing coughs up:

33.8 km, 32 min driving

Vast differences, and seems none of them jive ... must be BS Maps vs AsTheCrowFlys Maps

 

[Chorley8]

1. "I would think that in order for LE to make that statement that they believe her car was used, they must have tire tracks at the scene or brush under the vehicle if it was pulled off the road right into the grassy area. Sonia herself could have used that road to get home from her parent's house so they wouldn't just go by dirt on the tires IMO". (post from Kamille # 18 this thread)

2. Following this there is a discussion of Sonia's body being transferred to the perp's car 90 seconds away from her house and then her car left there - I realize this NOT what LE thinks happened. But is is possible?

3. Is it true as stated here that Sonia could actually go to her parent's house that way (???)

Sorry really have to ask don't drive so am not good at thinking like a driver.

 

[Sillybilly]

3. Is it true as stated here that Sonia could actually go to her parent's house that way (???)

<rsbm>

Sonia's body was found on the north side of Beechgrove Sideroad near Mountainview Rd, and YES, she could have used that road enroute from Bolton to Orangeville. Due to her phone call to her Mom, and the blood found at her residence though, it certainly seems she made it home from Bolton that day.

Not sure exactly where SL lives in relation to downtown Mono Mills, but can't help notice how close Sonia's body was found to Mono Mills (5.9kms from Beechgrove Sideorad & Mountainview Rd to the centre of the town).