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

[Ghostwheel]

Crime With Kait covered the details
YouTube video link

6:30
EW’s whereabouts confirmed up to 12am
He was at home speaking with family members
Spa night with dog

7:11
All of EW’s belongings including cell phone and laptop were destroyed in the fire

I appreciate the link. I am not saying this is wrong, nor asking for another link. What I do want to point out is that without the actual phone evidence, this could be someone's interpretation of events, not the actuality of them. Example: After being on a road trip, I will call from my car in the driveway that I am "home". If I get out of the car and someone were to kidnap me, my kids might assume I was in the house, when I was not. Or I will be out in the car eating my once a month In and Out burger and if my D calls, I might or might not mention it. If she asks what I am doing for the day, I might say "I am doing laundry" when the actuality of it is I put the first load in, went for my In and Out burger, and am planning to go back, flip the wash to the dryer and add another load. But I'm NOT actually home right at that moment. So it's a thing I consider when I don't have actual records (or someone visibly seeing them) that prove where someone was. I acknowledge that it colours my thinking.

Also, the statement "All of EW’s belongings including cell phone and laptop were destroyed in the fire" seems a little definitive to me. How could anyone possibly know that? Whatever clothes he was wearing, whatever he had on his person when he disappeared was NOT destroyed in the fire. What else might have been there that left with Eli or whoever took him that no one knows about? Is there a comforter or blanket missing? Wallet? Medications? Such an odd statement to make.

As an aside, I cannot imagine that the fire was specifically to destroy the laptop and phone. Or at least the phone. Phone records are fairly easily accessed, a lot of people save images to the cloud, so how could anyone know that destroying a phone would destroy all evidence? Even a laptop can be backed up to the cloud, or documents saved on an external server. I suppose they might just take a chance that destroying the electronics would destroy evidence, better than nothing as it were.

If it weren't for the dog, I might think Eli decided to leave on his own and start elsewhere (though not sure how), but I cannot see him leaving the dog to die such a horrible death. Not at all. All just me thinking about the circumstances and MOO.

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

I appreciate the link. I am not saying this is wrong, nor asking for another link. What I do want to point out is that without the actual phone evidence, this could be someone's interpretation of events, not the actuality of them. Example: After being on a road trip, I will call from my car in the driveway that I am "home". If I get out of the car and someone were to kidnap me, my kids might assume I was in the house, when I was not. Or I will be out in the car eating my once a month In and Out burger and if my D calls, I might or might not mention it. If she asks what I am doing for the day, I might say "I am doing laundry" when the actuality of it is I put the first load in, went for my In and Out burger, and am planning to go back, flip the wash to the dryer and add another load. But I'm NOT actually home right at that moment. So it's a thing I consider when I don't have actual records (or someone visibly seeing them) that prove where someone was. I acknowledge that it colours my thinking.

Also, the statement "All of EW’s belongings including cell phone and laptop were destroyed in the fire" seems a little definitive to me. How could anyone possibly know that? Whatever clothes he was wearing, whatever he had on his person when he disappeared was NOT destroyed in the fire. What else might have been there that left with Eli or whoever took him that no one knows about? Is there a comforter or blanket missing? Wallet? Medications? Such an odd statement to make.

As an aside, I cannot imagine that the fire was specifically to destroy the laptop and phone. Or at least the phone. Phone records are fairly easily accessed, a lot of people save images to the cloud, so how could anyone know that destroying a phone would destroy all evidence? Even a laptop can be backed up to the cloud, or documents saved on an external server. I suppose they might just take a chance that destroying the electronics would destroy evidence, better than nothing as it were.

If it weren't for the dog, I might think Eli decided to leave on his own and start elsewhere (though not sure how), but I cannot see him leaving the dog to die such a horrible death. Not at all. All just me thinking about the circumstances and MOO.

I understand the details about belongings destroyed, dog killed in fire, and last known times of calls are not verified by LE.

The podcaster pulled the details from posts and comments made by EW’s family members in the Facebook group they admin called Help Find Eli Wood and another page called Ground Search For Eli Wood.

It’s important to note that the Initial articles and police reports all emphasized the estimated $500k in damage to the house deemed arson.

The death of EW’s dog was not brought up by LE, and the disappearance of EW, and the destruction of EW’s belongings in the apartment were downplayed.

MOO the fire came across as a deliberate act to destroy all evidence.
Fire and the water used to put out fire damages and destroys a great deal of forensic evidence. If the phone or laptop were used to log into encrypted servers or platforms like signal without the username handle it can be very difficult to retrieve communication that occurred.

 

[Claroon]

I found a post that gave us the details we have collected that were not necessarily in a WRPC article release. We aren't to post other FB user's profiles I believe. Is a snip allowed? I assume this person is friends of the family and her initials are AD.

 

[Bigditch]

The question about wide open spaces near 25 Major St. Two include Woodside Historic Park and Springwood Park which
Law enforcement (LE) could have searched only if one of the following applied:
• Search warrant issued by a judge
• Exigent circumstances (e.g., threat to life, destruction of evidence)
• Consent from the property manager or controlling authority

As another sleuth suggested, there are a lot of industries with dumpsters, etc. that would be easy to drop someone by as well. Private properties.

View attachment 639707

And further up the highway (assuming the perp used a vehicle), is the area along the river where a group did plan to do a search before the snow became an issue.

View attachment 639709

Why would LE need a warrant to search a public park?

 

[Bigditch]

Regarding the previous post where I said the goFundMe was set at $1,800, This poster from EW's FB page says $4,000 is needed as a minimum amount. Wow.


View attachment 639715

Cute Pic.
I think the motive was robbery. Jmo

 

[Claroon]

Why would LE need a warrant to search a public park?

Depends on what I find and read online. Sorry. Yes it is confusing and in most cases they do not need one to search a public property. It depends on how deep a search it becomes, if they need access through a locked gate, if they want dogs there, if they want to dig...
I believe a warrant strengthens a case if there becomes one as it was done lawfully. But, yes, a general walk through I don't think needs one.

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Cute Pic.
I think the motive was robbery. Jmo

Others have also suggested motive was robbery.

Do you think EW was targeted because of his go fund me or robbers targeted the house itself because it was listed for sale Oct 2024 and in Spring 2025?

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

I found a post that gave us the details we have collected that were not necessarily in a WRPC article release. We aren't to post other FB user's profiles I believe. Is a snip allowed? I assume this person is friends of the family and her initials are AD.
View attachment 639950

Very helpful. Thanks for finding these posts. This must be where The Crime Podcaster got their details from.

 

[Charlot123]

Cute Pic.
I think the motive was robbery. Jmo

Robbery is possible. Eli sounds slightly naive in his FB.

Hate crime is possible, too. It could be a random person or even the parent of someone from Eli's group. Sometimes these parents are very livid towards the movement.

I also weigh in a possibility of a pedophile since Eli looks very young and lithe for his age. Sometimes pedos are turned on not by children but by youth.

Hopefully we'll get an answer.

 

[Serononin]

I found a post that gave us the details we have collected that were not necessarily in a WRPC article release. We aren't to post other FB user's profiles I believe. Is a snip allowed? I assume this person is friends of the family and her initials are AD.
View attachment 639950

I hate to speculate on this, but has it been confirmed that poor Princess' cause of death was related to the fire?

 

[Bigditch]

Others have also suggested motive was robbery.

Do you think EW was targeted because of his go fund me or robbers targeted the house itself because it was listed for sale Oct 2024 and in Spring 2025?

Best guess Eli was targeted for the gofundme, especially for such a large amount (four-thousand dollars if that amount is confirmed). Not to say that someone wouldn't Rob him for less. Five hundred dollars is a lot of money to some folks. Jmo

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

I hate to speculate on this, but has it been confirmed that poor Princess' cause of death was related to the fire?

Cause of death not released by LE

Family shared on Facebook Dec 23, 2025 that the apartment was lit on fire with Princess inside.
Her remains are being sent to family in Nova Scotia.

 

[Bigditch]

Depends on what I find and read online. Sorry. Yes it is confusing and in most cases they do not need one to search a public property. It depends on how deep a search it becomes, if they need access through a locked gate, if they want dogs there, if they want to dig...
I believe a warrant strengthens a case if there becomes one as it was done lawfully. But, yes, a general walk through I don't think needs one.

Don't apologize. One can't possibly know the legalities of every jurisdiction on the map.

In Canada the police need a warrant to search privately owned property. A person's backyard, garage, shed, car, electronic devices, and inside their home.

 

[Claroon]

Another location on the map.

At the time he went missing, EW was a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Wilfrid Laurier University and as of Sept. 2025 was completing a professional placement at Health and Wellness Friendly Communities (HWFC) located at 44 Francis St. (see photo grab from google maps). (another location for refugee services exists on King St). (**in article "councillor" should be "counsellor"). MSM link

I am looking into what that organization does and it appears he would be directly involved with the vulnerable populations ( those at high risk of homelessness, living in insecure or unstable housing, and those seeking addiction support or helpf for mental illness.)

I will write a new post speculating on why a person in this community my target EW, since authorities have confirmed the disappearance was a targeted incident. Please join in on the discussion.