Who is ‘Jay’?
Toronto Police homicide investigators now have a partial name they believe could help them solve the nearly four-year-old murder of Ding Ping Wang.
The development follows a renewed public appeal last month that generated valuable information about the man wanted in connection with the November 12, 2022 murder of the 31-year-old in the Midland Avenue and Passmore Avenue area.
“As a result of information we have received, I can now announce that we believe the suspect goes by the first name ‘Jay’,” Detective Sergeant Sajeev Nair of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit said at a news conference at police headquarters on August 14.
Investigators are asking for the public’s help to determine Jay’s full identity while releasing additional security footage they believe shows the same suspect following an attempted murder several months after Wang was killed.
On July 28, investigators announced that, after nearly four years of investigative work, they had obtained new security footage of the suspect wanted in Wang’s murder, along with an artist’s rendering developed with the assistance of an eyewitness who came forward.
They also revealed that they believed the suspect was left-handed and had a distinctive gait.
That appeal generated new information that investigators hope will bring them closer to identifying the suspect.
“We believe that the male you see in this video is the same suspect involved in the murder of Ding Ping Wang,” Nair said. “We also believe the suspect had access to a black four-door SUV at the time. We are releasing the footage because we believe someone knows who this man is. Someone may recognize his appearance, his movements, his associates or the vehicle connected to him. I want to speak directly to those individuals today.”
Police are making a direct appeal to anyone who knows someone named Jay who resembles the individual shown in the footage.
“If you know someone who goes by the name Jay and believe he may be the person shown in the footage released by investigators, please come forward and help us solve this case for Mr. Wang’s family and loved ones, who have been waiting years for answers,” Nair said. “Even information that may seem insignificant to you could be the piece that helps move this investigation forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400.
Nair also delivered a pointed message to the suspect as investigators continue to narrow their focus.
“And to ‘Jay,’ if you’re watching: we know more about you today than we did two weeks ago,” Nair added. “I told you last time that your world was getting smaller. Today, it got even smaller.”
