Quebec provincial police suspect that a missing Romanian doctor-turned-stripper who lived in Mississauga may have committed suicide.
The Surete de Quebec says their initial investigation into the death of Gabriela Astanoaiei suggests she was depressed and may have taken her own life.
"Everything leads us to believe it's a suicide," Sgt. Gregory Gomez del Prado told The Toronto Sun. "No reason for now to expect anything criminal."
Astanoaiei, who rented apartments in both Mississauga and Montreal, vanished almost a month ago. Her car was found abandoned near a frozen lake west of Montreal. Her coat was discovered nearby on the ice.
A note was found inside the coat, with a photo of her family and a cellphone. Because they suspect suicide, police will not reveal certain details of their investigation.
Trained as a doctor in Romania, the woman worked at a strip club in Vaughan after emigrating to Canada.
Four years ago she met a wealthy married man from Montreal who changed her life. Astanoaiei had ended her marriage and was waiting for her new lover to end his, a friend said.
jstewart@mississauga.net