Evelyn Castillo, born in La Union, Philippines, grew up in a hardworking family. Education was paramount, and despite financial struggles, she and her sister, Imelda, completed high school.

Evelyn pursued further education, becoming a working student and eventually graduating from Lorma Colleges University Northwestern in Dagupan. Both sisters eventually married and started families; Evelyn had one son.

Driven by the need to provide better opportunities for their children, both sisters sought work abroad. Evelyn initially worked as a nanny in Hong Kong. The job was difficult, with demanding employers who reportedly skimped on food, but she persevered for her son’s sake.

Her remittances helped her family back home, but her personal life suffered when she discovered her husband’s infidelity, allegedly funded by the money she sent. She divorced him, entrusting her son to her parents’ care.

After her Hong Kong contract ended, Evelyn returned to La Union briefly before finding another job as a nanny in Cyprus. Her experience there was reportedly better, with kinder employers, though the ache of being separated from her growing son remained.

Frequent Skype calls bridged the distance. Her improved salary allowed her to support not only her son but also her parents and siblings.

During this time, her sister Imelda had already established herself as a caregiver in Canada. Imelda encouraged Evelyn to join her, highlighting the higher wages and the possibility of eventually sponsoring her son to immigrate.

Evelyn was convinced. After her Cyprus contract finished, she returned to the Philippines, used her savings, and with Imelda’s help, processed her Canadian visa application.

Leaving her son, now a civil engineering college student, was painful, but Evelyn focused on the long-term goal of family reunification. In 2013, she arrived in Canada, warmly welcomed by Imelda. Initially, Evelyn lived with her sister in the Toronto area before finding her own apartment nearby in Thornhill. She found work as a nanny for three children.

Life in Canada seemed promising. She adjusted well, made friends within the Filipino community, and continued sending regular support to her son. She saved diligently, planning for her citizenship application and the day she could finally bring her son over.

In October 2014, Evelyn’s son grew worried when he couldn’t reach her. After a day of unanswered calls and texts, he contacted his aunt, Imelda. Imelda also tried contacting Evelyn repeatedly without success.

Unable to leave work early, she promised her nephew she would check Evelyn’s apartment later that evening. When she arrived, Evelyn wasn’t there, and her phone remained unanswered. Deeply concerned, Imelda reported her sister missing to the Peel Regional Police.

The disappearance was baffling; it was completely out of character for the reliable and communicative Evelyn. Police opened a missing person case while Imelda reached out to friends and spread the word on social media. Two days later, the devastating news came: Evelyn had been found deceased.

Authorities revealed Evelyn, 43, had been discovered in a room at the Quality Inn hotel on Britannia Road East near Hurontario Street in Mississauga. Emergency services had responded to a fire call at the hotel on the evening of October 13.

Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze contained to a second-floor room. Inside, amidst the smoke and water damage, they found Evelyn’s body.

Initial reports were cautious, noting the fire seemed suspicious and not accidental. Inspector George Koekkoek stated homicide detectives were investigating due to the circumstances.

The autopsy results brought a grim clarification: Evelyn had no smoke in her lungs, indicating she was already deceased before the fire started. The fire, investigators concluded, was intentionally set to destroy evidence and cover up the cause of her passing.

Imelda provided context for Evelyn’s presence at the hotel. They had planned a trip to Niagara Falls for Canadian Thanksgiving (October 13 that year). Evelyn checked into the Quality Inn on October 12, intending for them to leave from there.

However, Imelda, forgetting it was a holiday weekend and fearing heavy traffic would make her late for work afterward, canceled the trip last minute. Evelyn reportedly wasn’t upset and planned to stay at the hotel until checkout.

However, the police investigation uncovered a hidden aspect of Evelyn’s life that conflicted with her family’s understanding. Hotel staff reported seeing Evelyn frequently at the Quality Inn, often accompanied by different men.

Investigators examined her online activities and found evidence suggesting that Evelyn, struggling financially despite her nanny salary (reported as approx.

PHP 45,000/month, half of which she sent home), was allegedly supplementing her income by offering escort services online, using the Quality Inn as her meeting place.

This revelation, vehemently denied by Evelyn’s distraught family, provided a new investigative path. Hotel security cameras captured footage of the last man seen with Evelyn before the fire.

Within a week, police arrested Nevan Moorthy, 32, also from the Toronto area. Moorthy was charged with ending Evelyn’s life and committing arson.

Investigators alleged Moorthy had connected with Evelyn through her online ads.

They theorized that during their encounter, something went wrong, leading Moorthy to end her life, possibly involving asphyxiation given his reported fetish for restraints like ropes and handcuffs.

His criminal history included prior convictions for theft and assault. Police released his mugshot, suspecting he might have victimized others.

Despite the police’s conclusion about Evelyn’s alleged double life, her family continues to dispute this narrative, remembering her solely as a devoted mother making sacrifices. Nevan Moorthy was tried and convicted for his actions against Evelyn Castillo. As of the latest reports, he remains incarcerated, serving his sentence.