Mistaken identity: Shaganash's sister says recent North Bay 'sighting' was not her

One month after a police report about an Autumn Shaganash sighting in North Bay, the Barrie woman's sister says it wasn’t her, as the investigation continues into her sudden disappearance last summer.

On July 9, North Bay police issued a media release saying Barrie police received information that Shaganash had been sighted in North Bay on June 21.

“The Barrie Police Service received information that Autumn was seen in North Bay on June 21 in the area of Regina Street and McIntrye Street East,” David Woolley, corporate communications officer for North Bay police, said in the release emailed to BarrieToday on July 9, in which police asked for the public’s help in finding her.

The last time Shaganash's family saw her was on June 9, 2023, the day before she disappeared without a trace.

Her last known location was captured on a home-surveillance video near Anne Street close to Sunnidale Park on June 10, 2023.

“The North Bay sighting was not Autumn,” Lili-Anne Moore, Autumn’s sister, told BarrieToday. “The wording on the North Bay police post was mistaken, saying as if it was actually her that was seen, but it was not.”

Moore said she viewed the footage of the woman in question in the video herself and confirmed it was not her sister.

"I (saw) a pretty clear view of the girl's face, even though it was a grainy video. (She) did not look like my sister at all. I could tell she was a bit taller than my sister, and slim. My sister also has a different kind of walk," she explained.

“There have been a few leads like this after that sighting, but footage shows it is not her,” Moore added.

Moore also says the North Bay police news release was posted before she saw the video.

“This is an ongoing investigation and every piece of information that is received regarding Autumn's disappearance is and has been thoroughly investigated," Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday. "After Lili reviewed the video, she was able to confirm that it was not Autumn."

When asked if North Bay police released the notice prior to Moore seeing the video, Leon said "I believe that is accurate."

“In all honesty, I try to be positive and really hopeful when it comes to leads like that, but deep down in my heart, my sister will not be in public like that, especially alone,” Moore said.

“My sister did not run away from us," she added. "Someone evil has her and is holding her hostage, or may have done something bad to her. If she could escape at any chance she could get, she would.”

Moore says there have been no other updates from the investigation since the mistaken sighting.

“We still have hope that she will be found," she said. 

Shaganash's family reported her missing on June 12, 2023.

Barrie police have said she "vanished into thin air."

City police have said there has been no activity on her social media.

Her family has also said there has been no banking activity recorded anywhere and no health-card records generated by any kind of medical visits.

Shaganash's family has since hired Present Truth Investigations to work independently of local police in an attempt to find her.

On April 9, Barrie police officials announced they had partnered with an advertising company to post signs on Barrie Transit buses and local billboards in an effort to locate Shaganash.

In what was called an investigative first for Barrie police, which began on April 1 and continued for the entire month, five Barrie Transit buses carried the message to “all corners of the city,” reminding residents and transit riders the investigation into Shaganash’s disappearance remains active and ongoing.

In addition to the buses, four digital billboards in Barrie carried a message police hope will generate tips from the public that could bring resolution to the investigation, which has “stymied detectives” for months, police say.

On Feb. 8, Police Chief Rich Johnston announced on behalf of the Barrie Police Services Board that a $50,000 reward had been approved for information confirming her whereabouts.

Timeline of events

• June 9, 2023: In the evening hours, Autumn Shaganash leaves her sister’s home in the Allandale neighbourhood, near Burton Avenue and Frank’s Way. She was wearing a black hoodie, shorts and Puma sandals. She was also carrying a black and tan purse.
• June 10, 2023: Between 9:30 a.m and 9:45 a.m., Shaganash’s sister receives a text message asking to be picked up. Only three minutes had passed when her sister tried to respond to the message. But Shaganash’s phone went to voicemail and appeared to have been turned off, according to police. (In January 2024, the private investigator hired by the family noted that, in an effort to unearth potential clues, he had gained access to her “digital footprint” and discovered a message sent in the early-morning hours of June 10, which “alluded to her presence at an unspecified location.”)
• June 10, 2023: Police say Shaganash was making her way to the city waterfront to watch the Barrie Airshow with a male friend who was walking ahead of her when she vanished. At the same time, an ALS fundraising event was taking place in Sunnidale Park. She was seen in the Kozlov Street area near Sunnidale Park, and in the Sunnidale Road and Letitia Street area between 10 a.m. and noon. Police have said they have video evidence of this.
• June 12, 2023: A missing-person investigation is launched after local police are notified of Shaganash's disappearance. Sunnidale Park was subsequently searched numerous times using police drones and canine teams, but to no avail. Police had also searched downtown Toronto, without any positive results.
• June 21, 2023: Police are asked if the case is being treated as an abduction or possibly linked to human trafficking. “There is no evidence that human trafficking is involved, but we obviously are going to look at every possible angle here,” says a police official. “There has been no confirmation that she is being held against her will.”
• June 27, 2023: Barrie police make a public appeal to people who were in attendance at the ALS fundraiser for potential photographic/video evidence that could help in the investigation.
• Aug. 2, 2023: Investigators release new photos in hopes of jogging people’s memories and generating new leads in the search for Shaganash.
• Sept. 19, 2023: Shaganash’s 27th birthday.
• Nov. 14, 2023: Shaganash’s sister pleads with the public for information. “We really miss her. It’s been too long,” she says.
• Jan. 23, 2024: Shaganash’s family announces they have hired a private investigator, Derwin Johnson, of Toronto-based Present Truth Investigations.
• Jan. 27, 2024: The private investigator tells BarrieToday the family has provided evidence to him that they had obtained independent of the police investigation. This includes video surveillance footage from a residential home showing Shaganash walking with the male friend, mentioned above, but the family has also acquired additional video that “they are kind of holding close to their chest,” Johnson says. “They’ve shared (it) with us and we are analyzing that video now.”
• Feb. 8, 2024: Almost eight months after Shaganash was reported missing, Barrie police hold a news conference to announce a $50,000 reward for information that helps locate the missing woman. During the question-and-answer period with reporters, police say they have had “numerous” leads.
• April 9, 2024: Barrie police announce they have partnered with an advertising company to post signs on Barrie Transit buses and billboards around the city in an effort to locate her.
• May 30, 2024: The private investigator tells BarrieToday “a few witnesses have come forward, and leads have been forwarded to (Barrie police), but as you are aware, they will not share the results of their investigative efforts, or if the leads had substance.”
• June 9, 2024: Shaganash’s sister tells BarrieToday about a lead being followed involving a black car a witness said was in the Sunnidale area asking a female for a ride. She said a similar black car can be seen in surveillance video.
• July 9, 2024:  North Bay police say Barrie police received information that Shaganash had been sighted in North Bay on June 21, and asked the public for help in locating her.
• Aug 8, 2024: Shaganash’s sister, Lili-Anne Moore, confirms to BarrieToday the North Bay sighting was not Autumn, after reviewing the video footage obtained by police.