Segun Farquharson

Just after midnight in northwest Toronto, the final, desperate moments of 24-year-old Segun Farquharson’s life were captured in a recording. He had accidentally or intentionally activated the voicemail on his own cellphone, creating a chilling audio record of him pleading with his attackers before he was shot and killed. The Black man’s death on Friday, May 18, 2001, remains an unsolved homicide, leaving a family searching for answers for more than two decades.

That evening, Segun had just finished a meal at his home when he received a phone call. He and a friend left to meet two men waiting in a car. The meeting took place in the area of 218 Duncanwoods Drive, near Islington Avenue and Finch Avenue West. An argument broke out, and police believe the two attackers thought Segun was carrying a large sum of money. The situation quickly escalated into a violent robbery.

The audio captured on Segun’s voicemail details a terrifying scene. He was pistol-whipped inside the car while the voices of his attackers can be heard. Segun repeatedly told the men he did not have any money but promised he would get it for them if they would not hurt him. The recording then goes silent. Shortly after, at approximately 12:01 a.m., Toronto Police Service officers from 31 Division responded to a call for a shooting. They discovered Segun on the street, suffering from gunshot wounds. He had been shot in the back. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, but he died from his injuries shortly after arrival.

The Toronto Police Service Homicide unit launched an investigation, calling the voicemail tape an extraordinary piece of evidence. In August 2001, they publicly released the audio, hoping someone would recognize the voices of the two assailants or another man who was present. Segun's mother, Julia Farquharson, made an emotional public appeal, begging for anyone with information to come forward. "Those of you who hear this voice and can identify the voices, please call police," she pleaded. She also made a call to end street violence, saying, "Black [men], young men, end the violence against yourself and brothers…make peace not war."

Julia’s tireless quest for justice for her son became the focus of a 2003 CBC documentary titled "A Deathly Silence." Directed by Alison Duke, the film used Segun’s story as a lens to examine a troubling statistic at the time: that 30 percent of Toronto's homicide victims were African-Canadian. The documentary followed Julia’s engagement with the media and her community as she fought to ensure her son’s case would not be forgotten.

Despite the unique audio evidence and his mother’s advocacy, Segun Farquharson’s murder grew cold. Over the years, the case has been reviewed by the Toronto Police cold case squad. As of December 2013, police confirmed it was still an active and open investigation. The case, designated Homicide #14/2001, remains on the Toronto Police Service’s cold case website, a reminder of a life cut short and a crime that remains unpunished.

The investigation into the murder of Segun Farquharson is ongoing. The Toronto Police Service continues to ask for the public’s help. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Homicide unit at 416-808-7400 or [email protected].