An OPP boat pulling two divers searches Horseshoe Lake for 55-year-old Robert Smith of Scarborough on the afternoon of Saturday July 25. The man's body was discovered in Minden Lake by a resident there on the afternoon of Sunday July 26. /Submitted by Doug Hall By Staff
The body of a Scarborough man who police had been searching for sincedeclaring him missing on July 23 was pulled from Minden Lake on Sunday.
Haliburton Highlands OPP said a resident had found the body of 55-year-old RobertSmith near their dock on the north end of Minden Lake shortly before5:30 p.m. on July 26.
Yesterday Global News reported Smith to be aconvicted sex offender based on a source through the Toronto PoliceService. When contacted by the Minden Times TPS would not confirm those details.
Smith had been reported missing by the TPS on July 23 at1:07 a.m. He had last been seen in the Minden area riding a red 1995Harley Davidson motorcycle on July 22.
That motorcycle was locatedin an overflow parking lot off of Horseshoe Lake Road according tolocal police who were called in to assist in the search at 4 p.m. onJuly 24. Acting OPP Staff Sergeant Jason Folz said Toronto Police hadadvised the local team that the motorcycle might be found there.
OPPmembers from the Central Region emergency response team canine unit and aviation services searched that area with additional resources fromthe underwater search and recovery unit and marine patrols joining onJuly 25.
Global News reported on July 28 that a source with the TPShad confirmed “Smith is the same individual who in 2008 was sentencedto 20 months in prison and three years of probation after pleadingguilty to possessing and distributing child pornography. Smith’s arrestcame following an undercover police investigation in which police seized up to 1000 graphic and sexual images of boys and girls under age 12.”
At that time Smith was an actor best known for his role as a spokesperson for Alexander Keith’s beer appearing in commercials as an over-the-top Scotsman.
Police searching for Smith said they were concerned forhis safety. They did not disclose his criminal record though the Times asked Toronto Police Service on July 24 and Haliburton Highlands OPP onJuly 26 to confirm the missing person was the same Smith associated with the previous crimes.
On July 28 TPS confirmed that the Robert Smithwho was missing had been found dead but repeated they would not comment on the man’s criminal history.
Folz said a post mortem examination will be scheduled at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service in Toronto but noted “it will be several months before any post-mortem resultswill be made available to investigators.” Investigators do not suspectfoul play in this death investigation.
