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 knew I read something about Eli being hard of hearing, posted by a friend. (I remember wondering about Wardenburg Syndrome, with the white eyelashes. So the detail about hearing stuck in my head, hanging on that thought.)

I have a deaf friend who has had some scary reactions from men who perceived her as "ignoring" them, when they were trying to chat her up in public.

"Who are you to ignore me, you stuck up b___?" -- that type of attitude.

I recall something about a nearby homeless encampment in the park near Eli's apartment. Maybe someone in passing tried to ask a question about the dog, or knew Eli from a work placement. Eli didn't hear them. A fragile person living on the street, already feeling unseen, cracks with rage feeling like someone else is ignoring them. (With or without a sexualized component, which has its own layer of wounded ego.)

It could also just be something that an organized perpetrator took advantage of, like if they knew about the dog being a service dog.

Thanks for sharing, that is sad what your friend has encountered. EW was working with homeless people as their course work but we don't know if in person or doing admin stuff and yes there are lots of wanderers around Kitchener.

 

[Charlot123]

Was it in a kennel and got smoke inhalation? Was it loose

I knew I read something about Eli being hard of hearing, posted by a friend. (I remember wondering about Wardenburg Syndrome, with the white eyelashes. So the detail about hearing stuck in my head, hanging on that thought.)

I have a deaf friend who has had some scary reactions from men who perceived her as "ignoring" them, when they were trying to chat her up in public.

"Who are you to ignore me, you stuck up b___?" -- that type of attitude.

I recall something about a nearby homeless encampment in the park near Eli's apartment. Maybe someone in passing tried to ask a question about the dog, or knew Eli from a work placement. Eli didn't hear them. A fragile person living on the street, already feeling unseen, cracks with rage feeling like someone else is ignoring them. (With or without a sexualized component, which has its own layer of wounded ego.)

It could also just be something that an organized perpetrator took advantage of, like if they knew about the dog being a service dog.

Thanks for mentioning Wardenburg syndrome. Makes sense.

 

[Charlot123]

I imagine the dog barked when perp(s) arrived, took EW, left and especially when fire was set.

The time that perp(s) showed up is unknown. They may have arrived when EW was awake or they may have arrived closer to to 6am when fire was set.



This makes sense. Either to get EW to do something or removed EW to buy themselves time until LE determined the fire was arson and foul play involved with EWs disappearance.
It gave perp(s) a few days.



MOO
As much as I try to see him being lured out, I just can’t picture EW leaving his apartment willingly without his phone or his service dog.

For police to say foul play was involved with his disappearance, it points to them having evidence. They may have found signs of a struggle, forced entry, broken or overturned furniture, open cupboards or drawers, signs of sudden departure (unlocked door, appliances left on), tools used to commit B&E, accelerants for fire.

Robbery or personal motives make sense MOO.

Horrible story, and I hope the family will get their answers.

I have a friend, and she has a small dog whom her son saved from a very abusive situation. The dog is incredibly vocal and barks loudly whenever someone rings at the door. She likes me. (At first I'd bring food and definitely feed her in my house but now I don't even need to as she has "formed opinion" about me.) However, she (the dog) has poor way of telling who's behind the door just by the footsteps, she barks loudly, and my friend, on seeing that it is me, opens the door very fast so that people living around are not bothered. And I walk in fast, too, because on realizing that's me, the dog gets quiet.

So: I wonder if the habit to open the door fast to any person known to them is typical for the owners of loud dogs? It may be a reflex, "come in, let's talk inside, she's too loud".

A service dog has to be loud, but maybe people in the house complained of the dog barking?

Then Eli would feel pressured to open the door and let a known (if not even liked or specifically trusted, but merely known) person in. Especially if the dog barks in the evening or at night.

It is a complex dynamic - you being reliant on the dog but at the same time wishing to be on good terms with the neighbors.

Also, I fed my friend's dog just because I can't say "no" to one, but gaining trust of an animal who barks by food may be used for nefarious reasons, too.

So, I wonder if a known person walked in not with the best intentions? Or maybe they did have some expectations but the result was not what they wanted and the person may easily get angered by nature.

Logically, the money could be a valid reason. Intuitively, I am not sure if that's the case. It seems that the person wanted to express themselves and acted very impulsively. Did they know about the money and took it? The police should know.

In short, I don't feel that the person was trusted nor necessarily liked by Eli, but I feel that the person was definitely known to Eli and to his dog.

It has been mentioned that Eli was leading a somewhat hermit-like life. Is it still possible, however, that he could be occasionally visiting some neighbors in the house or people living in the vicinity, with the dog?

One wonders how much did the people in the big house heard that evening/night?

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Horrible story, and I hope the family will get their answers.

I hope so too. This case really caught my attention because it's in my province and I saw the vulnerability of EW

I have a friend, and she has a small dog whom her son saved from a very abusive situation. The dog is incredibly vocal and barks loudly whenever someone rings at the door. She likes me. (At first I'd bring food and definitely feed her in my house but now I don't even need to as she has "formed opinion" about me.) However, she (the dog) has poor way of telling who's behind the door just by the footsteps, she barks loudly, and my friend, on seeing that it is me, opens the door very fast so that people living around are not bothered. And I walk in fast, too, because on realizing that's me, the dog gets quiet.

So: I wonder if the habit to open the door fast to any person known to them is typical for the owners of loud dogs? It may be a reflex, "come in, let's talk inside, she's too loud".

A service dog has to be loud, but maybe people in the house complained of the dog barking
Then Eli would feel pressured to open the door and let a known (if not even liked or specifically trusted, but merely known) person in. Especially if the dog barks in the evening or at night.

It is a complex dynamic - you being reliant on the dog but at the same time wishing to be on good terms with the neighbors.

Also, I fed my friend's dog just because I can't say "no" to one, but gaining trust of an animal who barks by food may be used for nefarious reasons, too.

That's so nice your friend has a rescue dog. Sounds like a protective one.

We aren't sure if EW's dog was a big barker or not. It's just hard for me to imagine them being quiet throughout that whole ordeal. Until we find out what the neighbours and other tenants saw or heard, we can only speculate.

So, I wonder if a known person walked in not with the best intentions? Or maybe they did have some expectations but the result was not what they wanted and the person may easily get angered by nature.

Logically, the money could be a valid reason. Intuitively, I am not sure if that's the case. It seems that the person wanted to express themselves and acted very impulsively. Did they know about the money and took it? The police should know.

True, logically money makes sense of any type of currency. Sometimes perps go after specific items that have"trade" value. Sometimes it can be evidence of some kind - photos, video.

In short, I don't feel that the person was trusted nor necessarily liked by Eli, but I feel that the person was definitely known to Eli and to his dog.

I'm not too sure either way. It really depends when we find out if the perps got to the apartment. If they spent considerable time there or acted quickly.

It has been mentioned that Eli was leading a somewhat hermit-like life. Is it still possible, however, that he could be occasionally visiting some neighbors in the house or people living in the vicinity, with the dog?

This is how he's been presented by family members.

One wonders how much did the people in the big house heard that evening/night?

Yes, I have wondered about this as well. His unit is situated above the living room and bedroom of the basement apartment.
As for the main house, it shared a wall with the kitchen and one of the rear bedrooms has a door that opens onto the roof of the rear addition (EW's apartment).

Interior view:

Exterior view:

Link to video

 

[Ghostwheel]

Side bar, I can't say I've seen a lot of houses that put in a door on the second floor to access the roof of an addition on the back....handy for maintenance, I suppose, but most people just use a ladder.

 

[ttcRider]

Side bar, I can't say I've seen a lot of houses that put in a door on the second floor to access the roof of an addition on the back....handy for maintenance, I suppose, but most people just use a ladder.

Could it be a fire escape? It doesn't look like a rooftop patio. IMO

 

[Ghostwheel]

Could it be a fire escape? It doesn't look like a rooftop patio. IMO

Interesting thought. Would not have helped in this case, but it's possible.

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Side bar, I can't say I've seen a lot of houses that put in a door on the second floor to access the roof of an addition on the back....handy for maintenance, I suppose, but most people just use a ladder.

Yes, that 2nd floor door is part of the original house design. These were kit homes from the 1900s. They often included a second floor balcony over a covered back porch as seen next door.

 

[Ghostwheel]

Good eyes! There was so much over at that house, I wasn't sure what that was the nextdoor door led to. And the style is different than the ones to the left so I didn't put 2 and 2 together.

 

[Claroon]

Trying not to think of this case. One thing I wanted to clarify, however, confusion over the mom's telephone call timing. I don't think there is an official statement as to the time and maybe mom called several times. I believe TW, EW's brother, said in a post they would have nightly Facetime for his child to chat with EW.

So my question to clarifiy is that the mom allegedly reported EW was normal self and would be staying in for a spa day with his dog (I presume dog grooming. Some even paint their dog's toenails.) I thought this was the 18th. Said the towel was in the dryer (unit in his own apt). But other reports are the mom had talked to him at midnight. You don't say you are staying in for a spa day at midnight. Did he mean the 19th or is the timing in my mind mixed up? (Did I write this clear enough to make sense?)

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Trying not to think of this case. One thing I wanted to clarify, however, confusion over the mom's telephone call timing. I don't think there is an official statement as to the time and maybe mom called several times. I believe TW, EW's brother, said in a post they would have nightly Facetime for his child to chat with EW.

So my question to clarifiy is that the mom allegedly reported EW was normal self and would be staying in for a spa day with his dog (I presume dog grooming. Some even paint their dog's toenails.) I thought this was the 18th. Said the towel was in the dryer (unit in his own apt). But other reports are the mom had talked to him at midnight. You don't say you are staying in for a spa day at midnight. Did he mean the 19th or is the timing in my mind mixed up? (Did I write this clear enough to make sense?)

EW was last seen October 18, 2025 (as per police report and missing person posters)

Based information shared by his family members on social media, he spoke with them the night of October 18. All calls, FaceTime and Messenger had him accounted for at home (25 Major St) until Midnight. He was home for spa night with his dog.

This was summarized by Crime With Kait

YouTube video link

At 6:30
Eli’s whereabouts confirmed up to Midnight.

 

[Claroon]

EW was last seen October 18, 2025 (as per police report and missing person posters)

Based information shared by his family members on social media, he spoke with them the night of October 18. All calls, FaceTime and Messenger had him accounted for at home (25 Major St) until Midnight. He was home for spa night with his dog.

This was summarized by Crime With Kait

YouTube video link

At 6:30
Eli’s whereabouts confirmed up to Midnight.

So the spa day was that day, the 18th, before midnight I guess.

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Yes, that 2nd floor door is part of the original house design. These were kit homes from the 1900s. They often included a second floor balcony over a covered back porch as seen next door.

View attachment 641689

For accuracy, not important to the case:
The 25 Major Street house was built as a 2-storey residence in 1928

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

So the spa day was that day, the 18th, before midnight I guess.

According to info from family, yes, spa night.
It seems to align with EW’s special bond with his toy poodle dog, Princess (RIP).
Toy poodles have curly hair that grows a lot so they need daily brushing to prevent mats and tangles. Every 4–6 weeks, they need full grooming haircut, bath, nail trimming, and ear cleaning.

 

[SchwiftyShadesOfGrey]

Posts by Eli's mom have been popping up on my Facebook feed and I was surprised that this case is not getting the publicity it deserves. I went through numerous reddit threads and couldn't find any online "investigations" that collect available information. Then I found this thread, went through every post and formed a picture in my head. I think there are a number of questions we don't know the answers for and they are key to solving this puzzle:

1. What did other tenants see or hear during that night? Small dogs like Princess are typically pretty loud so if something was going on they could have heard at least the barking, which could help establish the timeline. We know the tenants were home because they talked about the water from firefighting efforts flooding the basement. There was also a vehicle parked in the back seen in the fire photo from the neighbor.

2. How did Princess die? I think this is a major detail that could steer the investigation in many directions. Possible options are:
- Died in the fire. This is the worst outcome for the poor dog but it is possible in the scenario where someone broke in and assaulted her for being loud. She would likely try to hide until the perp left and not get out when the fire started. The initial assault could still leave identifiable patterns like broken bones. This means someone killed her intentionally
- Killed when the perp broke in to quiet her down - this is similar to the previous scenario but it would even more likely leave identifiable marks
- She could have died as a result of an accident, even caused by Eli, such as eaten chocolate or chewing gum with xylitol. Eli would have been so devastated, especially if he caused it, that he suffered a mental breakdown and decided to end it all. This is a wild theory but it explains all details we know.

3. What was Eli's relationship status? This is a big one and there is absolutely nothing about it anywhere. This could be a crime of passion one way or another, and it would explain how the perp got into the apartment. Someone he knew could have visited him and either lured him out or murdered him and had to hide the body, especially if the body could be used as evidence, e.g. have traces of perp's DNA.

4. Were there signs of forced entry? It is nearly impossible to tell after the firefighting efforts, but knowing this would narrow down the list of suspects and the motive.

I'm sure Kitchener Police know the answers to these questions and therefore have a much fuller picture of what happened.

Now there are questions that need to be answered with investigative efforts:

1. Why was the fire started? To hide the evidence? If it was to burn down the phone and laptop it's a very inefficient way of getting rid of the evidence, it is a lot easier to take it and destroy it more meticulously. I would think most fires actually are bad at destroying electronic devices as often memory can still be recovered. It requires a lot of resources though, I'm sure police are pursuing this. Alternatively, if there was more evidence like traces of DNA, signs of struggle, murder weapon, starting a fire makes more sense. If there was struggle however, other tenants or neighbors could have heard it. Also Eli, being generally very cautious, would have likely called for help if there was struggle. Another option for starting the fire is just out of rage or impulse, if the perp is mentally unstable. Finally, it's possible that arson was the main crime. For example someone threw a Molotoff cocktail through the window. Then Eli could run have run out in horror, seen the perp and the perp had to hide their tracks by abducting Eli. This seems unlikely though because I would imagine Eli would tend to his dog rather than running outside when the apartment is on fire. In case of this scenario the fire investigators would have found this out.

2. Why is Eli missing? If this was a hate crime or a robbery gone wrong the perp would not go through the trouble of trying to get rid of the body. So it is either abduction, or a murder where the perp had the need to hide the body. This is where the relationship status question comes back into play - if there were no people who would have to hide the body due to the "crime of passion" situation, then abduction is more likely. I'm also sure the police looked into this right away. Another scenario is that Eli left on his own suffering a mental breakdown. Knowing his mental health situation would be helpful in figuring this out.

The "crime of passion" scenario could also be related to Eli's financial troubles. If someone wanted to target him personally they could gain his trust by offering financial help. This could be the premise to get into his apartment on Oct 19th.

Random thoughts:

- When police say the crime was targeted it likely means not that particular victim was targeted beforehand, rather that this was the only intended victim and there is no threat to the public

- The fire alarm would have been triggered way before the building was fully engulfed. It is possible that it was going on for some time but everyone was asleep to hear it (this is not the type of alarm that calls the fire department automatically).

- If this crime was meticulously planned and Eli was the intended target it would make more sense for the perp to escape through the park, not pull into the driveway. There are other tenants in the house and the neighbor houses are really close, the abductor would likely not want to risk being seen or identified

- The license plates in Ontario are issued in alphabetical order. A*** were issued in the 1990s or early 2000s. B*** were issues in late 2000s. C*** are issued in the recent years. D*** and further are not issued yet. This means that the license plate on the boxy Jeep is most likely CERN XXX.

- My analysis is based on the assumption that people act rationally and situations occur based on their highest likelihood. Freak accidents and completely irrational and unexplainable behaviour still happens more often than we would like.

I hope my analysis helps find Eli. I'm happy to discuss any of the above.

 

[Claroon]

nvestigative Units: The case is being handled by a combination of the Major Crime Unit and the General Investigations Unit, in collaboration with the Office of the Fire Marshal due to the suspicious fire.

Posts by Eli's mom have been popping up on my Facebook feed and I was surprised that this case is not getting the publicity it deserves. I went through numerous reddit threads and couldn't find any online "investigations" that collect available information. Then I found this thread, went through every post and formed a picture in my head. I think there are a number of questions we don't know the answers for and they are key to solving this puzzle:

1. What did other tenants see or hear during that night? Small dogs like Princess are typically pretty loud so if something was going on they could have heard at least the barking, which could help establish the timeline. We know the tenants were home because they talked about the water from firefighting efforts flooding the basement. There was also a vehicle parked in the back seen in the fire photo from the neighbor.

2. How did Princess die? I think this is a major detail that could steer the investigation in many directions. Possible options are:
- Died in the fire. This is the worst outcome for the poor dog but it is possible in the scenario where someone broke in and assaulted her for being loud. She would likely try to hide until the perp left and not get out when the fire started. The initial assault could still leave identifiable patterns like broken bones. This means someone killed her intentionally
- Killed when the perp broke in to quiet her down - this is similar to the previous scenario but it would even more likely leave identifiable marks
- She could have died as a result of an accident, even caused by Eli, such as eaten chocolate or chewing gum with xylitol. Eli would have been so devastated, especially if he caused it, that he suffered a mental breakdown and decided to end it all. This is a wild theory but it explains all details we know.

3. What was Eli's relationship status? This is a big one and there is absolutely nothing about it anywhere. This could be a crime of passion one way or another, and it would explain how the perp got into the apartment. Someone he knew could have visited him and either lured him out or murdered him and had to hide the body, especially if the body could be used as evidence, e.g. have traces of perp's DNA.

4. Were there signs of forced entry? It is nearly impossible to tell after the firefighting efforts, but knowing this would narrow down the list of suspects and the motive.

I'm sure Kitchener Police know the answers to these questions and therefore have a much fuller picture of what happened.

Now there are questions that need to be answered with investigative efforts:

1. Why was the fire started? To hide the evidence? If it was to burn down the phone and laptop it's a very inefficient way of getting rid of the evidence, it is a lot easier to take it and destroy it more meticulously. I would think most fires actually are bad at destroying electronic devices as often memory can still be recovered. It requires a lot of resources though, I'm sure police are pursuing this. Alternatively, if there was more evidence like traces of DNA, signs of struggle, murder weapon, starting a fire makes more sense. If there was struggle however, other tenants or neighbors could have heard it. Also Eli, being generally very cautious, would have likely called for help if there was struggle. Another option for starting the fire is just out of rage or impulse, if the perp is mentally unstable. Finally, it's possible that arson was the main crime. For example someone threw a Molotoff cocktail through the window. Then Eli could run have run out in horror, seen the perp and the perp had to hide their tracks by abducting Eli. This seems unlikely though because I would imagine Eli would tend to his dog rather than running outside when the apartment is on fire. In case of this scenario the fire investigators would have found this out.

2. Why is Eli missing? If this was a hate crime or a robbery gone wrong the perp would not go through the trouble of trying to get rid of the body. So it is either abduction, or a murder where the perp had the need to hide the body. This is where the relationship status question comes back into play - if there were no people who would have to hide the body due to the "crime of passion" situation, then abduction is more likely. I'm also sure the police looked into this right away. Another scenario is that Eli left on his own suffering a mental breakdown. Knowing his mental health situation would be helpful in figuring this out.

The "crime of passion" scenario could also be related to Eli's financial troubles. If someone wanted to target him personally they could gain his trust by offering financial help. This could be the premise to get into his apartment on Oct 19th.

Random thoughts:

- When police say the crime was targeted it likely means not that particular victim was targeted beforehand, rather that this was the only intended victim and there is no threat to the public

- The fire alarm would have been triggered way before the building was fully engulfed. It is possible that it was going on for some time but everyone was asleep to hear it (this is not the type of alarm that calls the fire department automatically).

- If this crime was meticulously planned and Eli was the intended target it would make more sense for the perp to escape through the park, not pull into the driveway. There are other tenants in the house and the neighbor houses are really close, the abductor would likely not want to risk being seen or identified

- The license plates in Ontario are issued in alphabetical order. A*** were issued in the 1990s or early 2000s. B*** were issues in late 2000s. C*** are issued in the recent years. D*** and further are not issued yet. This means that the license plate on the boxy Jeep is most likely CERN XXX.

- My analysis is based on the assumption that people act rationally and situations occur based on their highest likelihood. Freak accidents and completely irrational and unexplainable behaviour still happens more often than we would like.

I hope my analysis helps find Eli. I'm happy to discuss any of the above.

Thank you for your input. I promise to read through your post as I'm sure @Mayjusticeprevail will and others. I was just going to compile a new post myself about the Crime Unit process, but will wait for another time.

 

[Claroon]

@SchwiftyShadesOfGrey I'm going to give one bit of input before I go out just now. BBL.

1. What did other tenants see or hear during that night? Small dogs like Princess are typically pretty loud so if something was going on they could have heard at least the barking, which could help establish the timeline. We know the tenants were home because they talked about the water from firefighting efforts flooding the basement. There was also a vehicle parked in the back seen in the fire photo from the neighbor.

The WR Major Crimes Unit is handling the case. They have interviewed the neighbours. They keep the info close to their vest for multiple reasons. No one has leaked what the neighbours saw or heard. I know a dog whose owner miraculously trained their dog not to bark. It seems unbelievable. But if EW's was a service dog as stated, may have been trained likewise. So we can't assume the dog in this scenario barked loudly. We can speculate it did, but we don't know. Also, if the perpetrator was someone familiar with the dog, the dog may have recognized the perp and acted trusting.

The perp may have injured the dog, which is horrible to think of, or the perp may have forgotten the dog was in the apt when the fire was set. We don't know if EW had a kennel he put the dog in and dog could have gotten smoke inhalation. It is all just our imaginations going through scenarios at this point. None of us have the answers we seek.

Yes, neighbours were home and yes photo showed vehicle (hope they got it moved out of the way timely.)

 

[agent902]

I keep seeing the posts online from Eli's family, too. I'm also curious about the details surrounding the fire investigation. And the dog's cause of death.

I was thinking about the family needing to defend against the speculation that Eli was the arsonist. Mom keeps needing to insist: "Eli would NEVER...!"

But I wonder like the poster above, about mental breakdown as a piece of the puzzle. It's possible for good people to have thought distortions, and cause harm they don't intend. (Like they actually thought they were killing the devil, and burning his body to prevent his resurrection.)

I worry if family insistence that "Eli would never..." could possibly keep Eli too ashamed to reach out, if it turns out "Eli did..."

Maybe I'm just projecting out of hope. But I want this to be a case of someone making a mistake, being in over their head, and needing help to get back to shore. I can still see a scenario where Eli could be involved, but is still a good person.

Eli, if you are out there -- there is always room for forgiveness. I don't know you. I don't know or care if you effed up, and hurt your dog accidentally or on purpose, or if you set a fire. But even if you did all the worst the internet accuses you of, this total stranger still hopes you're okay.

I want to hope that Eli is missing by choice. I don't like the other possibilities.