Joshua Bennett was 18 when he was found dead near a trail off Paulander Drive in Kitchener during the night of September 23 into September 24, 2021. Police say he arrived in the Paulander Drive area at about 6:30 p.m. on September 23, spent the next hour interacting with several people near 60 and 40 Paulander Drive, and at about 7:25 p.m. surveillance footage captured an unidentified person in a long dark coat leaving the area while Bennett and two others headed the same way. There is a several-hour gap between those evening sightings and the discovery of Bennett at about 4:30 a.m. on September 24. A post-mortem found multiple stab wounds and investigators classified the death as a homicide.

Investigators from the Waterloo Regional Police Service Major Crime Unit have repeatedly appealed for witnesses and have focused public attention on identifying the person in the long dark coat; police have not named any suspect. On the third anniversary in September 2024 a reward of up to $50,000 was announced, and police confirmed the reward remained available on the fifth anniversary. No arrest or charge has been publicly announced.

If anyone knew Joshua, his movements that night, or who the person in the long dark coat might be, please come forward with information.