Family and friends still hold out hope two years after Ontario man’s disappearance

Two years after he went missing, CTV’s Hannah Schmidt speaks to the family and friends of an Ontario man who disappeared without a trace.

Family and friends have been waiting two years to find out what happened to Nathan Wise.

The 39-year-old who has Down syndrome was last seen on May 12, 2023 at Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue West in Toronto.

Where he went next remains a mystery to this day.

“We really miss him a lot,” Nathan’s cousin Jason Babcock told CTV News. “We just want answers.”

The family is struggling with the uncertainty of his fate.

“There’s been many tips going to the missing persons unit of the Toronto Police Service,” Babcock said. “Things still come in bits and pieces, but we still have no solid answers.”

He spoke with CTV News on the two-year anniversary of Nathan’s disappearance in the hopes it will generate new clues in the case.

“What we’re trying to do is keep his name out there,” Babcock explained. “If you know anything, please let us know.”

While Nathan had been living in Toronto, he grew up and still had close ties to the Region of Waterloo.

“I’ve known Nathan for about maybe 12 to 15 years,” said his friend Kathleen Matthews.

She still struggles with what she could have done differently in the weeks and days leading up to his disappearance.

“You just have all these thoughts of how you could have made a change, and would it have changed the impact, the outcome, of what happened.”

Nathan’s disappearance led to a number of searches on the streets of Toronto and the trails and parks of Waterloo Region.

But, despite dozens of public appeals, there has never been a confirmed sighting of Nathan or solid leads for police.

“At this time, we do not have any updates or developments to share with regards to this investigation and the search for Nathan is ongoing,” an email from the Toronto Police Service said.

“You just have that small glimmer of hope, even though it doesn’t feel realistic,” Matthews insisted. “It’s hard to have that hope that you might see him one day.”

On Monday, CTV News spoke to Babcock and Matthews outside a Walmart in Waterloo.

“Where we’re doing the interview here today was really close to him,” said Babcock. “He visited this Walmart almost every day. They knew him by name.”

They still cling to any memory of Nathan, hoping he will soon come home.

“I would want to let him know that he’s in no trouble at all,” Babcock said. “We would just like him back home, and bring him home here to Waterloo Region, where he belongs.”