Police ID woman whose remains found in duffel bag on west-end Toronto trail area

TORONTO – Toronto police have identified a woman whose partial remains were found in a duffel bag left on a trail in the city’s west end.

Police say Rigat Essag Ghirmay, 28, of Toronto, was last seen alive on May 15 and they are asking for the public’s help in tracing her movements in the last weeks of her life.

The bag containing the remains was found May 24 (in the Humber Boulevard and Alliance Avenue area) but police say only about one-third of her body has been recovered.

Investigators are looking to speak with anyone who saw a person walking in that area with a black, yellow and green duffel bag with rollers, some time in the past two weeks.

Anyone who knew the victim or the man who has been charged in the case —Adonay Samuel Zekarias, 41, of Toronto — is asked to contact police.

Zekarias has been charged with causing an indignity to a dead body but police say it’s likely the charges will be upgraded to murder.

The coroner has not yet been able to determine the cause of death and police say it may take some time to do so.

Last week, police said they were searching garbage at transfer stations but no more remains have been found.

Police say Ghirmay came from the African country of Eritrea but had lived in Canada for a while and that she and Zekarias, who was also from Eritrea, knew each other.