Police are winding down their face-to-face interviews of students at Forest Hill Collegiate, briefly the school of missing teen Mariam Makhniashvili without any new leads developed.
"The interviews are nearly completed. No new developments in the investigation," Const. Tony Vella, a Toronto Police Service spokesperson, told ctvtoronto.ca on Friday.
"The story remains a mystery on her whereabouts," he said.
The search is also winding down at the Ingram transfer station, where garbage from the Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West neighbourhood is taken, he said.
Mariam's family lives at 20 Shallmar Blvd., which is just north of that intersection.
Vella said the interview of 6,000 residents in the area surrounding that building continues. That process began on Nov. 9. It was estimated then that speaking with everyone would take two to three weeks, but Vella said it could go even longer.
Police are asking individuals to consent to a warrantless search by voluntarily allowing them to look inside their homes for any traces of Mariam.
A week ago, police started checking garbage at the transfer station on the chance that anyone spooked by the door-to-door canvassing would throw something out.
Vella said people have been very co-operative with investigators, "it's just that locating her is the difficult part right now."
Mariam came to Canada in late June with her brother George from the Republic of Georgia, which is located just east of the Black Sea and south of Russia. They were reuniting with their parents, who had been working for the previous five years in Los Angeles.
On Sept. 14, Mariam went to school with George. They parted company as they approached the school, with Mariam saying she wanted to go in the front door as it was closer to her first-period class. That is the last confirmed sighting of her.
On Oct. 8, the backpack she took to school that day was located at 130 Eglinton Ave. E., just over two kilometres away from the school.
Police held assemblies at two high schools in that area plus at Forest Hill to ask for students' help.
They have flown over some city parks and ravines with an OPP helicopter and otherwise have conducted an intense investigation.
However, Vella said it still isn't considered a criminal investigation.
"Everyone has their speculation on what may have happened to her, but really, there's no evidence to support either or," he said, referring to the possibility she is a victim of foul play or voluntarily disappeared.
Usually, police have a clear direction for their investigation within the first 24 to 48 hours. "In this case, it's over two months now," he said.
"We're being persistent, we're doing everything we can to locate her, and will continue to search for her," Vella said.
Mariam is white, 5'3" with light brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black jeans with front and back pockets and buttons as well as a baby blue, long-sleeved V-neck shirt. She was wearing a waist-length blue jean jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to call Toronto police at 416-808-5300, or to call Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477. Members of the public can also send in tips online at www.222tips.com, or they can text TOR and a message to CRIMES (274637).
