Peel Regional Police say the disappearance of a Mississauga mother of three, last seen more than three and a half years ago, is now a homicide investigation.
Mezhgan Aini, 38, was last seen and heard from in June 2022 near her apartment in the Applewood Heights area, around Queen Frederica Drive and Dundas Street East. She also went by the names Sara or Sarah.
Police made the announcement on Monday, March 2. The case is being handled by the force's Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau.
Reported missing by family overseas
Police were not told she was missing until June 2025, when relatives in Afghanistan contacted Peel police to say they had been unable to reach her for an extended period. She was listed as a missing person that month.
Det. Kevin Robbie told CP24 that investigators have reviewed Aini's phone and bank records and found no sign she has been alive since June 2022. He said she is of Afghan descent and worked in local Afghan clothing stores before she vanished.
Police say officers have spoken with Aini's friends, family and other contacts as part of the investigation. Robbie said investigators remain open to several theories and want to hear from anyone with information.
Robbie would not say what led police to reclassify the case, but said investigators have identified a suspect.
We do have a suspect. At this point, I'm not going to divulge who it is at this point.
— Det. Kevin Robbie, Peel Regional Police Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau
No arrest has been announced and no one has been charged.
Police appeal to the public
Aini is described as five foot two with a medium build and long, straight black hair.
Investigators are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity near her apartment between June and September 2022 and has not yet spoken to police, or anyone with information about Aini or her family, to come forward.
Tips can be shared with Peel Regional Police at 905-453-2121, ext. 3205, or anonymously through Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or peelcrimestoppers.ca.
