Windsor Police Confirm Human Remains Found in Northern Ontario Are Missing Local Man
Windsor Police Service has officially confirmed that human remains discovered in northern Ontario last October are those of David Pavao, a 37-year-old Windsor man who had been missing since August 2025. The identification brings closure to an extensive six-month search that spanned multiple jurisdictions across the province.
Extensive Search Efforts Across Ontario
Pavao was last seen on Windsor's west side during the early morning hours of August 14, 2025. Following his disappearance, Windsor police launched comprehensive search operations throughout Windsor and Essex County. Investigators meticulously combed ditches and roadways in Kingsville and Leamington during early September, later expanding their efforts to include the 600 block of Tecumseh Road East and areas around Grand Marais Road West and Huron Church Road.
The search eventually extended beyond local boundaries as Windsor police collaborated with Ontario Provincial Police officers to conduct investigations in other Ontario jurisdictions. This inter-agency cooperation proved crucial when OPP officers located human remains near a roadway in Black River-Matheson Township, approximately one hour east of Timmins, in October 2025.
Forensic Confirmation and Criminal Charges
The recovered remains were sent to Ontario's Centre of Forensic Sciences for detailed analysis, where forensic experts have now definitively identified them as belonging to David Pavao. This confirmation comes despite the fact that Windsor police had already taken significant legal action prior to the forensic identification.
Police investigators had charged five suspects in connection with what detectives describe as the murder of the Windsor man. The first arrest occurred on October 15, 2025, when officers took 54-year-old Shane Ladouceur and 49-year-old Marie Christine Hannah into custody. This was followed by the apprehension of 61-year-old Ronald Holman on October 20.
The investigation intensified on October 23 when officers arrested 27-year-old Colin Lusk in the 3300 block of Sandwich Street. The final suspect, 40-year-old Jason Vincent Smith, was arrested at the beginning of November 2025.
Serious Charges Filed Against All Five Suspects
The charges against the five individuals reflect the gravity of the alleged crimes. Colin Lusk faces the most serious allegations, including first-degree murder and indecent interference with a deceased body. Shane Ladouceur has also been charged with first-degree murder.
Marie Christine Hannah and Ronald Holman both face charges of being an accessory after the fact to murder and indecent interference with a deceased body. Jason Vincent Smith's charges include being an accessory after the fact to murder, indecent interference with a deceased body, mischief under $5,000, and failure to comply with a release order.
All criminal cases are currently proceeding through the Windsor court system as the judicial process unfolds. The Windsor Police Service continues its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pavao's disappearance and death, with additional developments expected as the cases move forward.
