Remains identified as victim from 2025 slaying
Barrie police have confirmed that skeletal remains located on Aug. 13 in a wooded area near a former homeless encampment belong to William ‘Blake’ Robinson, who was 45 at the time of his death. The identification ties the August discovery to a double homicide that shocked Barrie residents last year.
The remains were recovered near the Anne and Tiffin streets encampment, a site that drew significant police attention and public scrutiny in 2025 after two men disappeared and extensive searches were launched. When the skeletal material was found in August, investigators initially treated it as a separate matter while forensic analysis proceeded.
Forensic testing led to confirmation
Police sent the remains to the Centre of Forensic Sciences for identification. That testing, according to Barrie police, confirmed the remains as those of Robinson and linked the discovery back to the long-running homicide investigation that began when Robinson was reported missing on Feb. 10, 2025.
The earlier investigation also involves David Cheesequay, who was reported missing toward the end of July 2025. Searches and warrants executed last year produced partial human remains after police actions at the Anne and Tiffin encampment, at a property in Huntsville and during follow-up examinations of a North Simcoe property.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Feb. 10, 2025 | William ‘Blake’ Robinson reported missing |
| Late July, 2025 | David Cheesequay reported missing |
| 2025 (following reports) | Search warrants executed at encampment and properties; partial remains found |
| Aug. 13, 2026 | Skeletal remains discovered near Anne and Tiffin streets |
| Sept. 10, 2026 | Police confirm remains belong to William ‘Blake’ Robinson |
Accused remains in custody
Authorities arrested Robert Ladouceur, 52, in connection with the deaths. He faces multiple charges that include first-degree and second-degree murder, two counts of indignity to a dead body, and additional firearms and drug-related offences. Ladouceur remains in police custody as the Crown proceeds with the charges.
The police investigation has stretched across municipal boundaries, with searches and warrant activity reported in Barrie, Huntsville and North Simcoe. Those actions last year produced evidence that led investigators to treat the two missing-person reports as related and to lay a series of serious charges.
Local context and community impact
The identification of the remains brings renewed attention to safety and oversight around informal encampments and to the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness in the region. Last year’s police activity at the Anne and Tiffin encampment prompted public debate in Barrie over encampment management, social supports and the policing response when vulnerable people vanish or are harmed.
- Families: The confirmation gives family members of Robinson official closure on the fate of a relative reported missing more than a year earlier.
- Investigation: Police have tied the August discovery to the 2025 double homicide after forensic identification at the Centre of Forensic Sciences.
- Public safety: The case underscores continued concerns about violent crime linked to vulnerable populations and the need for coordinated social and policing responses.
Barrie police have not released additional details about the forensic timeline or the exact nature of the evidence that connected the August remains to Robinson. As the matter proceeds through the judicial process, the community can expect further updates from investigators and the courts.
The charged individual remains before the courts on the count sheet laid by police; any matters of guilt or sentencing will be determined through the legal process. In the meantime, the case is a reminder of the persistence of long-term, complex investigations and of the role forensic science plays in identifying victims and advancing criminal prosecutions.
