The Body Of Morgan Stanley Trader, Murray Abbott, Recovered From A Lake In Toronto

The search for missing Morgan Stanley trader, Murray Abbott, has concluded with the grim discovery of his body in a lake in Toronto. Abbott’s body was found floating in Lake Ontario, which is near Toronto’s Beaches neighborhood, around 6.40 a.m. on Monday morning.

The Morgan Stanley trader lived and worked near where he was found and, as yet, no cause of death has been reported as police await the outcome of an autopsy on Abbott. Although some Toronto police suspect it was a tragic accident after police spokesperson, Mark Pugash, issued the following statement via a phone interview with Bloomberg Business.

“It was obviously a very tragic missing person’s case.”

However, the Financial Post reports, according to Detective Constable Neil Thornton, police are being more cautious and will wait for the autopsy report before issuing their findings.

Murray Abbott joined Morgan Stanley in 2010 after leaving Blackmont Capital Inc., a Toronto-based brokerage. He was a vice president of the institutional equities desk at Morgan Stanley’s Canadian wealth-management division. Laura Adams, head of Morgan Stanley’s Canadian equity-distribution business and the woman who hired him, described him as a friendly, well liked man who Morgan Stanley clientele trusted.

“He was larger than life, a very gregarious guy, very well liked by clients. He was just a super guy… Clients really enjoyed working with him, he was well liked and had a very strong network across Bay Street. He just worked really hard and had a great work ethic.”

The last reported sighting of Abbott was on April 25 with a friend in the Beaches neighborhood of Toronto, near to the financial precinct. Police and those close to Abbott scoured the area and put up posters seeking information on his disappearance. Family offered a C$50,000 ($41,700) reward for information on his whereabouts.

Murray Abbott’s body was found floating face down just east of a water filtration plant. The plant was close to Queen Street East and Courcelette Road, according to police reports. He was 36 and was described as a “proud family man” by close friend, John Turley-Ewart who also shared the Morgan Stanley trader’s love for golf.

“Murray and I often found ourselves sitting in the bistro together where we chatted about markets, golf and the future of the club. He was always smiling, had a big welcoming handshake when he greeted fellow members and was a proud family man.”

[Image credit: Personal photo via Bloomberg Business]