CANADA Canada- Eli Wood, 25, student@ Sir Wilfred Laurier Univ., missing after fire (poss. arson)@ home, Kitchener, Ont.,19 Oct., 2025, *Foul play suspected*

[Claroon]

I was wondering about EW's medical issues. In his GoFundMe he refers to it as a disability. If he was confronted the night of October 18 or morning of October 19, did something medically related transpire and cause his 'visitor' to freak out? If so, why not call 911?

That leads to numerous theories.

 

[Claroon]

For a better idea of what technology is used by Waterloo Regional Police Services in Major Crime Investigations, I have compiled the following details.

This gives some perspective on how a lot of evidence can be documented very efficiently using technology. Based on available information from Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS), they use advanced forensic technology, including CCTV cameras with ALPR (licence plate scanners), 3D scanners and drones (RPV) with advanced sensors to document crime scenes, major collision scenes, and assist with investigations.
Key details regarding WRPS and technology:

• 3D Scene Documentation: WRPS forensic identification officers utilize technology to survey major crime scenes and fatal crashes, allowing them to capture detailed data faster than traditional methods, which helps in analyzing evidence for court.
• Drone (RPV) Usage: The WRPS Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) is used to assist with investigations, including searching for people and photographing scenes.
• Forensic Identification Unit: The service operates a dedicated Forensic Identification Unit that uses specialized, high-tech tools to process evidence.

While WRPS previously used controversial facial recognition technology (Clearview AI) in 2019-2020 for identifying suspects and victims, the Chief of Police ordered a stop to its use until proper policies were developed. They have since adopted other technologies, such as BriefCam (2022) for video analysis.


WRPS Technology Links:
>>> Link 1 , Link 2

I feel that what the community and sleuths want to know is whether LE has it covered, or whether they still want the community to help in some way? The silence is off putting to a fair degree. People want to help in any way possible.

LE, I hope you have some community services helping the family come to terms with what they are dealing with.

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

All good points. The realities of investigation. And add in there these agencies going on Christmas breaks...

It all amounts to such a long wait. Since it is so snow covered in Kitchener right now, no searches can go on. So we await a sighting of EW, Forensic updates, discovery of his body, or identification of a Person of Interest. It is a long wait for his family and the community, as well as us intrigued with justice issues.

But the POI, if he or she is reading, could confess. Could tell us all what happened that weekend.

Yes, understandably some delays can be a result of the holidays.

For Eli and his family’s sake, we do want to help with timelines and share details that may jog someones memory. We hope the POIs are identified or the perp(s) turn themselves in.

Contact WRPS Major Crimes Unit: 519-570-9777 ext. 8191 or Crime Stoppers (Anonymous): 1-800-222-8477

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

I was wondering about EW's medical issues. In his GoFundMe he refers to it as a disability. If he was confronted the night of October 18 or morning of October 19, did something medically related transpire and cause his 'visitor' to freak out? If so, why not call 911?

That leads to numerous theories.

With patches of white hair and partially white eyebrows and eyelashes it’s possible EW has Poliosis. It can be genetic or triggered by viruses that cause inflammatory or autoimmune disorders.

If it were a medical emergency gone wrong, the fire would be a panicked cover-up but it’s very cruel to leave a small senior dog inside to burn to death. It leaves a lot to question because we have no details about what was seen or heard around the time of the fire.

LE have classified it as targeted arson so that implies fire was part of the plan from the start.

For the sake of EW and his family, I hope that anyone who knows where EW is being held or anyone who can identify the suspect or suspects who were involved will provide these details to police or crime stoppers.

WRPS Major Crimes Branch:
519-570-9777 ext. 8191

Crime Stoppers (Anonymous):
1-800-222-8477

 

[Claroon]

**For Discussion Purposes Only**

I won't speculate on EW's medical issues apart from recalling his mom mentioning in a FB post
GROUND SEARCH FOR ELI WOOD



that he needed medication, and him mentioning in his GoFundMe about a 'disability'. I think his brother TW may have said fatigue too. EW has a post on FB about POTS ( Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) though nothing says he has that. Yes, it is possible for a person with POTS to collapse or pass out if severely frightened Link. 2nd Link.


In reading "Psychology Today" (no specific article) I have noted a general behaviour that sometimes occurs in panic of a person present during a medical emergency that would cause them to NOT call 911. Before posting, I want to clarify, there is no evidence something like this occurred in the EW case. Only speculating that 'it may have'.

Possible reasons for a person not calling 911:

Panic

freezing

misinterpreting symptoms

fear of being blamed

impairment – drugs/alcohol

thinking the person just needed space/time

not realizing it was an emergency

having a crisis mental episode: crisis psychology shows that someone who is overwhelmed, dissociating, or emotionally destabilized is more likely to respond in any of the above ways.

Link

 

[Claroon]

I

I won't speculate on EW's medical issues apart from recalling his mom mentioning in a FB post
GROUND SEARCH FOR ELI WOOD

View attachment 639546

that he needed medication, and him mentioning in his GoFundMe about a 'disability'. I think his brother TW may have said fatigue too. EW has a post on FB about POTS ( Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) though nothing says he has that. Yes, it is possible for a person with POTS to collapse or pass out if severely frightened Link. 2nd Link.


In reading "Psychology Today" (no specific article) I have noted a general behaviour that sometimes occurs in panic of a person present during a medical emergency that would cause them to NOT call 911. Before posting, I want to clarify, there is no evidence something like this occurred in the EW case. Only speculating that 'it may have'.

Possible reasons for a person not calling 911:

Panic

freezing

misinterpreting symptoms

fear of being blamed

impairment – drugs/alcohol

thinking the person just needed space/time

not realizing it was an emergency

having a crisis mental episode: crisis psychology shows that someone who is overwhelmed, dissociating, or emotionally destabilized is more likely to respond in any of the above ways.

**Further to the medical‑event speculation---FOR DISCUSSION ONLY:

If someone was with him and he experienced a medical crisis, how did he then vanish?

Even if we imagine EW collapses and the visitor panics, freezes, or misinterprets the situation, the next step is still unclear. (as we all know). Eli was not in the unit when firefighters arrived. Based on that alone, the possibilities seem limited to:

• he left the unit before the fire, either voluntarily or under pressure

• he was removed from the unit while unconscious or otherwise unable to leave on his own

I'm sure LE have checked the site for DNA, blood, or anything else that might clue them into what happened next. Was bedding, coat, jacket, boots still there, or gone? Beyond that, we don’t have enough verified information to understand what happened.

 

[Ghostwheel]

Does anyone know about when the snow would melt enough that true outdoor searches can continue? It seems to me that if there is a body to be found in any outside location, it would have to be after snow melt, correct?

Also, I see no information about Eli's day to day life. That colours how I think through possibilities. If he were unable to get enough from the GoFundMe to pay rent and finish school, would he look for a job? Maybe meet someone not yet known to his family or friends? Would his mental outlook be positive, negative, in between that close to the end of a month (like worried about being able to pay rent). Would he have looked for a roommate? Being a kind person, he may not have recognized a person claiming to want to help but having another motive. In addition, his research may have led him to someone who had mental heath issues.

Both LE and the family are being very tight lipped. I feel like they have some clues they cannot act on, but I have no basis in fact for that.

 

[Claroon]

Does anyone know about when the snow would melt enough that true outdoor searches can continue? It seems to me that if there is a body to be found in any outside location, it would have to be after snow melt, correct?

Several Canadian Search and Rescue (SAR) groups (OSARVA, SARVAC, and RCMP SAR guidelines) note that deep snow, ice crust, and frozen ground limit the effectiveness of outdoor searches and scent‑tracking for dogs. Dogs also are not put into recent arson zones as the toxins can be damaging to them.

In most regions, my understanding is that meaningful outdoor ground searches resume after spring thaw when snowpack recedes and terrain becomes accessible again. In southern Ontario, Canada (Kitchener) we are having major snow this weekend (Jan 25). The spring thaw usually occurs between late March and mid‑April, So yes, if investigators believe someone may be outdoors, the most effective searching I would think would be postponed until after melt, although our regional LE are able to use drones.

If water is involved, that’s a different situation. In a separate post, we could discuss what water sources are near this crime scene based on the idea the perpetrator would not drive far, and the possible outcome of someone being put into water from October to present.

 

[Claroon]

Further to @Ghostwheel's question regarding winter searches: In the Case of Candace Derksen the entire community was searching. There was snow on the ground and very low temperatures as is normal in Winnipeg when she was found. Allegedly, her case is used in references to winter cases in Canada. But she was not found by a search team. Candace disappeared in November 1984 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her body was discovered in January 1985, inside an unheated shed in an industrial yard by an employee that wanted something from the shed. I believe they ruled her cause of death hypothermia, though cited as homicide since the perp left her there to freeze.

So, what that means for this case? Winter conditions don’t automatically delay recovery if the person is in a structure, vehicle, or other enclosed space. I would *speculate*, if LE had a lead, they could still search cars, dumpsters, sheds, garages, and other enclosed spaces with or without snow cover.