'He was my right hand': Sask. dad wants answers from police after teen found dead in car

A Saskatoon father is calling for answers after his son was found dead in his vehicle.

Syed Sheraz Ahmed was found unresponsive in his car on October 6 at 11 p.m., parked outside Fit4Less on Confederation Drive.

Ahmed, who studied engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, was weeks away from his 19th birthday.

His dad, Syed Nasir Shah, said police told him the teen died of “natural causes.” But Shah believes the death is suspicious.

Shah said his son was responsible, stuck to a routine and took on the driving duties for the family.

“He was my right hand,” Shah said.

On the day of his death, Shah said his son went to Fit4Less around 5:30 p.m., after dropping his mother at home from an appointment.

Ahmed asked his mom have food ready for when he planned to return from the gym in an hour.

Shah said his son would always call, especially if plans changed.

Ahmed’s mother continuously called her son after not hearing from him. Some of the calls went to voicemail, others were cancelled.

His younger sister went to Fit4Less to check on her brother. She found him unconscious in the driver’s seat of his car, with his head turned and saliva running down the corner of his mouth.

Paramedics were called to the scene. Shah and his wife arrived shortly after and police told them Ahmed was dead.

“It was the toughest time of my life,” Shah told CTV News.

“And we still have no idea what happened.”

Saskatoon Police told CTV News an initial investigation happened at the scene and the case is now in the hands of the coroner.

Hours after learning of their son’s death, Shah said a police inspector returned Ahmed’s vehicle, wallet, water bottle, and cell phone.

Shah said he was surprised the items were returned so quickly and not needed for fingerprint testing.

 

MISSING CREDIT CARD

Shah discovered his son’s TD debit card was used virtually, through his iPhone, on the day of his death at around 7:15 p.m. Ahmed’s time of death has yet to be confirmed.

According to Ahmed’s phone notifications, his card was used for three separate transactions at Shell — $105.20, $50 and $50.

Shah said his own credit card, which he lent his son for buying family groceries, was missing from the wallet.

When Shah shared that information with police, he said they told him to file a separate fraud report.

Shah is calling for police to further investigate his son’s death.

“The Saskatoon Police Service is aware of the family’s concerns … members of the coroner’s office have met with them in an effort to provide insight,” a police spokesperson wrote in an email to CTV News.

Shah said he keeps his son’s car parked in the family garage, untouched, in case police need it for an investigation.

 

FAMILY WANTS SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

Shah has asked police to view surveillance footage outside Fit4Less. He said police showed him clips inside the gym, but not outside.

When CTV News asked police if investigators collected the footage, a spokesperson said “we will not be confirming specifics of this ongoing investigation.”

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service said it met with the family and police last week.

The coroner has conducted an autopsy on Ahmed’s body and is awaiting toxicology results.