Toronto Police have largely completed their canvass of the neighbourhood around the home of missing teen Mariam Makhniashvili -- and say they have generated no new leads so far.

"There hasn't been anything out of that that has brought us to something new," Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon told CTV Toronto on Thursday.

"However, we will be going back and continuing. There's some stragglers with regards to being home and other issues as well, with sickness, that we'll have to go back and interview."

Nealon said the 60 officers conducted more than 7,000 interviews over the period of the canvass, which began on Nov. 9. They will now have to shift through those notes.

Almost 1,000 interviews were conducted at Mariam's school, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, which is a short walk from her home at 20 Shallmar Blvd.

On Sept. 14, Mariam walked to the school with her brother George. They split up as they approached, 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 time anyone has seen her.

According to America's Most Wanted, which now has a web page up on the case, Mariam broke with routine when she parted with George. It said George first noticed Mariam was missing at noon when the girl failed to meet him for their lunch date. He thought she went home sick.

Since then, police have conducted an intensive search.

The face-to-face interviews had officers asking to be allowed inside for a quick peek around, which is essentially a warrantless search.

After announcing the search, police then had a team at the Ingram transfer station, which takes waste from the Bathurst Street and Eglinton Avenue West. The officers sifted through rubbish to see if anyone had tossed out any evidence relevant to the Makhniashvili investigation.

Among the other techniques police have tried:

  • helicopter searches of parks and ravines Mariam and her family were known to have frequented
  • holding public assemblies at high schools to appeal for information
  • seizing computers she may have used at some neighbourhood public libraries

The only solid clue was the discovery of the backpack Mariam carried to school that day. It turned up at 130 Eglinton Ave. E., a few kilometres east of the school. Police have agreed they don't know if Mariam put it there.

They still don't know if Mariam is the victim of foul play, if she decided to run away -- or something else entirely.

Mariam came to Canada in June with George from the Republic of Georgia. They were reuniting with their parents, who had been working for the previous five years in Los Angeles.

She is said to be shy, quiet and introverted. She has no other family in Canada and hasn't been in touch with friends or family in Georgia. Her passport is still at home.

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).