The body of a 31 year-old man from Ingersoll has been recovered.
The deceased has been identified as Thomas Rutherford, who had been reported missing on December 8th.
Oxford OPP responded to the incident when a body was reported to be located on Foldens Line in Ingersoll on December 17th.
Members of OPP and the Forensic Identification Services (FIS) attended the scene and they were assisted by Beachville Fire Station and Woodstock Fire Department and the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (USRU).
The Oxford County OPP Major Crime Unit and OPP West Region Criminal Operations, are following up on all investigative leads under the direction of Detective Inspector Brad Robson of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).
The investigation is ongoing and police say further information will be provided as it becomes available.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Oxford OPP immediately at 1-888-310-1122.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.oxfordcrimestoppers.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
The OPP’s major crime unit has taken over the missing person investigation of an Ingersoll man who has a long history of run-ins with police and battles with substance abuse.
Thomas Rutherford, 31, was last seen on Canterbury Street in Ingersoll on Dec. 3. A missing person report was filed with the OPP five days later, police said.
“At this time, we can’t rule out foul play, which is why major crimes and CIB (criminal investigation branch) are involved,” Oxford OPP Const. Patti Cote said of the branches that typically handle the most serious crimes, including homicides.
Rutherford’s friends and family have taken to social media to appeal to the public for information, even offering a reward for information.
“I feel like I’m falling apart. These have been the longest 13 days of our lives. Sadly our nightmare continues as we still haven’t found my brother,” sister Courtney Hewitt wrote in a Facebook post.
Hewitt declined comment when contacted Wednesday, saying it would be “inappropriate”to talk to the media at this time.
Rutherford has a long history of criminal charges, dating back to at least 2010, court records show.
Most recently, he was charged with four counts of assault, theft and failure to comply with release conditions. He pleaded guilty to four charges, including two counts of assault, and was sentenced on Nov. 26 to 90 days in jail – a sentence that he hasn’t yet completed – and given probation, the records show.
Rutherford also has struggled with addiction issues in the past, said acquaintance John Swales, who has known Rutherford for nearly a decade.
“He just couldn’t stay clean,” Swales said. Attempts to connect him with rehab and treatment programs during the years had been unsuccessful, although he had worked in farming and doing odd jobs, Swales said.
On social media, Rutherford posted often about looking for work and odd jobs, but also spoke about his drug addiction and his legal troubles. A call to Rutherford’s posted cellphone number went unanswered.
“I’m trying to get clean at the moment, but its hard to do this sober. When I’m high, all my problems are gone. Now that I’m sobering up, I just can’t believe the path of destruction I’ve caused,” Rutherford wrote in a September 2018 post.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Oxford County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at oxfordcrimestoppers.com
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/opp-seek-ingersoll-man-31-missing-since-early-december
