The disappearance of Devon Sinclair Marsman is now being investigated as a homicide, with police in Halifax saying human remains have been found and two men are facing charges.
Devon was 16 when he was last seen in the Spryfield area of the municipality in February 2022.
During a news conference Tuesday, Halifax Regional Police said investigators had arrested Treyton Alexander Marsman, 26, and a 20-year-old man who was a youth at the time of the murder.
Marsman is charged with second-degree murder, indignity to human remains and obstructing justice. He appeared in Halifax Provincial Court Tuesday for arraignment, and is scheduled to return to court Oct. 16. He is under conditions not to have contact with a list of 10 people.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old man is charged with accessory after the fact to murder and obstructing justice and was set to appear in Halifax Youth Court Tuesday.
Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean confirmed there was a “familial relationship” between the accused charged with murder and the victim, but would not specify that relationship.
He acknowledged it was “frustrating” for the community because investigators couldn’t reveal too much information about the case, but stressed that police didn’t want to jeopardize the court process.
“It is difficult when any member of a community goes missing, but when that missing person is a child, it’s even more traumatic. Our investigators have worked tirelessly on this case,” said MacLean, who called the investigation “lengthy and complex.”
“Our efforts to find out what happened to Devon have never wavered.”
Police said the remains are with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service for identification. Acting Deputy Chief of Operations Andrew Matthews said they were discovered “during the course of the investigation” but did not want to “get into timelines” to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“The investigation at this point have led our investigators to believe that the remains belong to (Devon),” said Matthews.
Police add that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.
Devon’s mother, Theresa Gray, had previously told Global News she had tried calling and texting him in vain for days after his disappearance in 2022. She then criss-crossed Nova Scotia for months, posting flyers and searching desperately for him.
“He’s a great kid. Always been a good kid,” she said in December 2022. “There have been times he’s been out and stayed out a few nights with friends, but nothing crazy. Never been in trouble.”
Friends and family also organized searches, including one in May 2022 in the Roach’s Pond area of Spryfield, where Gray believed he may have been. Supporters held marches to call for progress in the investigation, and raised a $10,000 reward for information into his disappearance.
By October 2022, Halifax Regional Police determined the teen’s disappearance was suspicious, and said investigators believed there were people who had information they had “not shared” with police.
Devon’s case was added to Nova Scotia’s Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program, which offers a reward up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for his disappearance
Throughout the investigation, Devon’s mother searched tirelessly for answers. She said she wouldn’t be speaking publicly Tuesday, but last February she told Global News that she was far from giving up.
“I will continue to do what I’m doing until there’s either an arrest or they find my son. But until then, I won’t stop at all.”