Nov. 3 marks one year since the hit and run death of Steven Tate, a 34-year-old resident of Montague Township.
Tate’s body was found Nov. 8, 2023, adjacent to Highway 15 near Smith Falls. Police stated he has been reported missing five days prior, and last seen alive early in the day on Nov. 3, 2023.
“Investigators continue to believe that someone holds the key to finding the person responsible for Steven Tate’s death one year ago,” Detective Inspector Marty McConnell of OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, said in a recent statement. “Whether you saw something at the time or have seen or heard something more recently, please contact us.”
OPP believe a dark-coloured hatchback or sedan, possibly a Mazda, is involved. It would have had damage to the front passenger side. A video of the suspect’s vehicle was released earlier this year.
Detectives are looking to speak with anyone who may have seen a damaged car potentially matching the description anytime after 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2023.
A billboard has also been placed along Highway 15, close to the location where the body was found, in hopes of prompting people to report any small detail they may remember from last year.
A $50,000 reward was announced earlier this year for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
“I miss his smile, I miss his hugs every day. He was everything to me. He was my only child,” Donna Tate, Steven Tate’s mother, said in a video released by the OPP in June.
“Do the honest thing and turn yourself in,” she said. “They say there’s no worse pain in the world than losing a child and I have been in pain since my child died.”
Members of the Lanark County OPP Crime Unit, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, continue to investigate with the assistance of OPP Collision Reconstructionists and the Technical Collision Investigation team, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lanark County OPP or submit an anonymous tip to Lanark County Crime Stoppers.