Durham is among three police jurisdictions that have issued arrest warrants for a man wanted for multiple counts of criminal harassment, including death threats.
Victims of the threats include Global News crime and security analyst Dave Perry, who is speaking out about his experience in an effort to help police track down the suspect, Gerald (Guy) Brummell.
Officers say they have not been able to locate the 57-year-old, who currently has no fixed address.
Perry, a retired Toronto police veteran turned private investigator at his company Investigative Solutions Network, has recorded a number of vulgar, disturbing phone calls he’s received in the past few weeks. The caller has been sending death threats to him, his colleagues and his loved ones.
In one recording played for Global News, Perry is heard asking, “Who’s there?” The caller then says, “This is the guy tracking you down, dude.”
Perry alleges the suspect is Brummell.
“He’s trying to get to me through my family by threatening my daughter,” Perry said. “He’s made horrible threats to her about her life and her safety and having all the gangs in Toronto focus on her.”
Perry says the caller is an in-law of one of his clients, the Staikos family, whose son Matthew was murdered in Yorkville in 2018. He alleges Brummell is a conspiracy theorist and supporter of far-right extremist group QAnon and other like-minded organizations.
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He says Brumell began harassing the Staikos family last July through calls, text messages and e-mails.
“He’s now focused on a family already grieving,” Perry said. “They already suffered enough. They lost their son.”
Perry says his efforts to find Brumell and alert police of his whereabouts have only lead to worsened threats for both him and the Staikos family, who has also had to deal with the pain of their son’s unsolved murder.
“I think one of the first things he said to me when I said ‘What do you want Mr. Brummell?’ He says, ‘I want your head on a platter.'”
Durham police say there could be additional victims.
“If they are out there we do ask that they contact their local police service,” said Cst. George Tudos.
“Investigators are looking to identify his location and make an arrest.”
Perry hopes that arrest will come soon. Until then, the private investigator has spent roughly $15,000 to upgrade his home video surveillance and keep his family safe.
“I’ve never had anyone run and not eventually get caught,” he said. “And he will (get caught).”
Perry says his company, ISN, is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who is able to find Brummell’s location which results in his arrest.
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