John Schmied

Jailer held in call-girl death

Metro Police homicide detectives yesterday went to a Don Mills home where they arrested the 23-year-old man and charged him with first-degree murder, even though they have yet to find Baxter's body.

"We're confident we'll recover a body," Det. Sgt. Tony Warr said last night after interviewing the suspect.

Police believe Baxter, 26 was killed Dec. 8, the day she was last seen.

She becomes Metro's 65 homicide of 1992.

Warr said "good investigative work" by a team of nine detectives led them to the suspect, who they didn't know had been Baxter's client until near the time of his arrest.

Clients had been warned

Warr last night said detectives "were just about to start" contacting clients when they were led to the suspect arrested yesterday.

Baxter, who worked through two call-girl agencies, specialized as a dominatrix who tied up and humiliated clients, neighbors of her Harborfront-area condominium told the Sun last week.

One neighbor said Baxter invited people into her apartment to laugh at and humiliate clients who were often tied up.

Baxter was last seen leaving a friend's Mississauga home at 3 a.m. Dec. 8.

Her 1989 BMW was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Gerrard Square shopping centre two days later.

The inside of the care showed no signs of violence, and police were stymied by her sudden and complete disappearance.

"It was a mystery ... a very interesting investigation," Warr said.

Won't comment on body

He said no weapon has been recovered.

Charged with first-degree murder is Patrick Daniel Johnson, 23, of Wynford Heights Cr., North York, He'll appear in North York court early next week.