Halifax police call 16-year-old's disappearance 'suspicious' nearly 8 months after he was reported missing

Halifax Regional Police are now callingthe disappearance of a 16-year-old boy "suspicious" seven months after he was reported missing.

In a release sent out Wednesday, authorities said they are continuing to investigate the disappearance of Devon Sinclair Marsman.

Marsman was last seen the week of Feb.21 and was reported missing on March 4.

Investigatorsin HRP's criminal investigation division said in the release, "Devon's disappearance is suspicious and that there are people who have information in relation to Devon that they have not shared with police."

Marsman's mother, Theresa Gray, said Wednesday she's long believed that her son's disappearance should have been further investigated.

"I knew, basically, everything was probably suspicious from the start because I'm the mother and I know that my son is not hanging out and not coming home," she said. "I'm just sorry it took seven months for them to consider that it was suspicious, but I guess it's better late than never."

Took taxi in February

Gray says police have told her Marsman took a taxi to a cousin's house in Spryfield, N.S., days after she last saw him.

The person in question has a criminal record, says Gray, and she believes he's withholding information about Devon's whereabouts.

Since then, she'sgoneacross Nova Scotia putting up flyers about her son'sdisappearance. Other friends and family in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver haveplastered postersaround those cities, as well.

Devon willturn 17 on Friday and she's hoping to have him back home before the weather gets colder.

"I have my family around me, but I'm just numb," she said. "Every day is just a struggle. You go to sleep and you can't sleep because every thought and every vision is Devon."

Const. John MacLeod said in an interviewpolice are reaching out to the public for help with the ongoing investigation.

"Certainly with any investigation, it evolves as we go along and receive information,"he said. "What I can tell you is that at this point, our investigators do believe his disappearance is suspicious and do believe that there are people who have information in relation to his disappearance."

MacLeod said he couldn't go into details about any new information the police may have, but investigators are continuing to follow up onleads.

Police have described Marsman as African Nova Scotian, fivefeet tall, 100 pounds,with blue-green eyes and short dark hair.