Woman’s Remains in Bag Identified

A broad white smile and bright eyes stare back from the photograph of a young woman just two months shy of her 21st birthday, a birthday she won't see.

The woman in the photograph is Yasmin Ashareh and her remains were found in a bag where the residents of a John Garland townhouse complex put their trash.

Detective Wayne Banks of the Homicide Squad is investigating Yasmin's whereabouts before her remains were discovered. He hopes the release of her name and photograph will cause someone to come forward. "It is crucial to the investigation to try to track where Yasmin was, who she has been with and any actions that she might have been involved with that will be essential to our investigation."

The garbage wasn't picked up on Tuesday, one of the two scheduled pick-up days for the residents of the townhouse complex. Banks said, "Garbage was supposed to be picked up Tuesdays and Fridays, but that wasn't a regular practice."

On Friday, garbage removal staff moved the bags about 50 feet before being prompted to peer inside because they were heavy for regular bags and had a strange smell. The police were then called to investigate the discovery of Yasmin Ashareh's remains inside one of the bags. Three bags in total were seized for forensic testing, 1 canvas hockey-style bag and two plastic garbage bags.

"We do know that her body was probably there for several days. The exact time we are not sure of and that's why part of our appeal is to anybody that may have seen, be it the garbage bags in the area, or seen her at some point in time, sp we could try to trace when she was last seen."

A post mortem was conducted on Friday and the cause of death was established to be stab wounds to the neck. According to Banks, the location where the bags were found was not the murder scene.

Yasmin lived alone, in a semi-rooming house where she rented a room, near where her body was discovered. According to Banks, she worked at a local store. Her family is from Somalia, although Yasmin was born in Canada.  She leaves behind a mother, one brother and two sisters.  Yasmin was not reported to be missing.

Toronto Police are looking for any information following the murder of 20-year old Yasmin Ashareh, and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers (416) 808-7260.

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