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Peel Regional Police say they believe mysterious vanishing of Mississauga mom of three was homicide
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Published Mar 02, 2026 • 3 minute read
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Mezhgan Aini, 38, who also went by the names “Sara” or “Sarah,” of Mississauga, was last seen in June 2022. PRPArticle content
Mezhgan Aini was missing for three years, but no one knew it. Well, almost no one.
Peel Regional Police said they believe the mysterious vanishing of the Mississauga mom was a homicide.
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Sometime between June and September in 2022, the Afghan refugee, known by friends as Sarah, was seen for the last time. Police said she was never reported missing until they received a call from Afghanistan in 2025.
“It was her family in Afghanistan who reported her missing,” said Det. Kevin Robbie of the homicide and missing persons unit.
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Search for Mezghan Aini who has been missing for 4 years and was not reported missing for 3 years. @PeelPolice believe she was murdered. If you know anything about this case police are asking for a call to help solve the mystery of the missing 38 year old mom of 3 pic.twitter.com/ia44xF9D5F
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) March 2, 2026
They said they had been trying to contact her with no success for years.
While there is no known previous police interaction with the family in Peel Region, there was a much-covered alleged domestic abuse incident when they lived in New York City before coming to Canada. While Sarah was missing, her husband Mohammad Yama Aini has continued to live in their apartment on Queen Frederica Dr. in Mississauga with their three children, who are between the ages of eight and 17.
Missing woman’s sister speaks out
Police said Mohammad, who was working Monday when the Toronto Sun tried to contact him at his home, has been “co-operative” with police.
But Sarah’s sister Benafsha Ahmadi told media in Afghanistan that the family did not receive such co-operation when inquiring about their loved one.
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“Her communication with us stopped,” she said. “Our entire family was worried and we would ask (her husband) where is Mezhgan? He (allegedly) would tell us that Mezhgan is sick, she is in the hospital, the doctor won’t let her communicate with anyone over the phone, that she must be away from her phone … (and) Mezhgan does not want to be in contact with you, that whenever Mezhgan is ready she will contact you. “
They said she never has.
“How is it possible that a woman can be missing for three years and no one notices?” said her sister. “These are questions that must be answered by the Canadian government.”
The apartment building on Queen Frederica Dr. in Mississauga, Ont., where Mezhgan Aini lived. Photo by Joe Warmington /Toronto SunHusband made headlines in New York
They certainly are questions being asked by Peel police.
This case is a real head-scratcher, especially after a reported 2017 incident involving the couple that made headlines in New York City, where Mohammad was a diplomat stationed in the United States with the Afghan government and working out of the United Nations.
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According to New York Post reports, Sarah’s husband drove her to the hospital with a bloodied eye and wounds to her face that police suspected were caused by her husband. They said that Sarah was wearing a burka then, but in Canada she was known to wear a hijab.
As a result of “diplomatic immunity,” Peel police said there were no charges filed against Mohammad. The Toronto Star, citing court records confirmed by police, also reported that Sarah denied her husband had harmed her and Mohammad claimed she tripped on a broom.
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Mohammad was, however, summoned to Afghanistan, where it was reported that government officials planned to deal with the allegations internally.
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His family did not return to Afghanistan and “at that point they fled and claimed refugee status in Canada,” said Robbie.
Sarah had worked in Mississauga then as a popular and “talented seamstress” and her husband is a store clerk.
This is a real whodunnit including where the 38-year-old woman’s remains may be.
“We are not getting into the details” of why police believe she fell victim to homicide, said Robbie, who added that while they have not named a suspect they do “have an open mind” with this investigation. They also have a theory they are working on.
A Peel Regional Police poster attached to the wall in an apartment building where Mezhgan Aini lived in Mississauga, Ont. Photo by Joe Warmington /Toronto SunNo motive has been revealed
Having not yet revealed a potential motive, Peel police said they are hoping somebody who lives or lived in that apartment building or nearby may have seen something “unusual” in 2022 that they didn’t think was a big deal at the time, but may help now.
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Or perhaps someone has something on a security video or dashcam.
“Investigators are asking anyone who observed suspicious activity in the area of her residence between June 2022 and September 2022, who has not yet spoken with police or who has information about Aini or her family, to come forward,” said Peel police.
Somebody must know something.
They may not yet have solved the case, but Peel police have the evidence that she was slain. While it may be too late to save her life, it could help protect others by getting her killer into custody.
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