Hi everyone,
Apparently a number of you have been attempting to comment on my posts, but the comments were not registering. I have changed the settings now so that anybody can post a comment, once I have approved it. The reason I do this is to control SPAM on the blog and so that I don't have to deal with people who would rather make trouble than contribute to the discussion.
With this in mind, please feel free to comment on any of the posts. I welcome your contributions,
Lee
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Monday 11 April 2011
Cold Case #2 - Who killed Cindy Halliday in 1992?
WHO: Cindy Halliday (17/f): a high school dropout who lived with her parents in Waverley, Ontario, but hung around with a "bad crowd". This lifelong hockey fan dreamed of being a social worker, and frequently hitchhiked along the roads between her home in Waverley and the closest big city of Barrie, leading some to form the impression that she was streetwise.
WHAT: Having disappeared while hitchhiking north from Barrie, Cindy's wallet was soon found by a man foraging for bottles. Her jacket was discovered neatly folded in a reforestation area the next month, followed by her skeletal remains and shoes a month later. As the vicinity had been thoroughly searched following the discovery of the jacket, it is believed Cindy's killer left the clothing first before depositing her body at a subsequent date. Though Cindy's skull was the only piece of the skeleton found in tact, an autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed to death (the amount of stab wounds have not been released to the public). A year long study by an entomologist concluded that her remains had only been where they were found for a period of about 30 days. Furthermore, tests on Cindy's brain matter reveal she may only have been dead for as long as a month. This meant she would have spent late-April/early-May in captivity.
WHERE: Cindy went missing somewhere between Midhurst and Waverley, along Highway 26. She had been to visit her boyfriend in a Barrie jail, and was last seen at a Hasty Market in Midhurst. The wallet was discovered by a man collecting bottles in a wooded area off Horseshoe Valley Road, west of Highway 400. This was close to the spot where her jacket and remains were later found.
WHEN: Cindy was spotted at the Hasty Market at around 5:30- 6:30 PM on April 19, 1992. She was officially reported missing two days later. On May 3, her wallet was discovered. Her jacket was located 13 days later on May 16, and her remains on June 16. Reports in available media sources contradict as to the precise dates and order in which her wallet, jacket and bones were found. As it is of no consequence to this profile, save to say that the killer delivered them back to the public at intervals, I will not dwell on the details.
HOW: The most likely scenario was that Cindy was picked up hitchhiking by a sadistic murderer, who managed to gain control over her. At this point, she would have been taken to an indoor location where she was held prisoner for a month. Her ordeal would undoubtedly have consisted of multiple rapes and sexual assaults, and probably some unknown degree of torture. As her remains were skeletal and scattered by animals when they were found, we can never truly know what indignities she suffered. Tragically, no DNA was recovered from any of the crime scenes.
WHY: Power and control. The perpetrator not only enjoyed exerting these over Cindy both while she was alive and upon her body after her death, but also toyed with the police by strategically placing items belonging to Cindy, including her remains, in the same area over a period of two months. The UNSUB is undoubtedly a sexual sadist, and given the amount of time he spent with the corpse, possibly a necrophiliac.
Forewarning: The Most Perplexing Profile Yet
Profiling the murderer of Cindy Halliday has been the most baffling experience I have had in amateur crimonology so far. Typically, men who keep their victims for long periods of time tend to kill them by strangulation, or torture them to death. There have also been examples of suffocation, drowning and bludgeoning. Yet this UNSUB did something unprecedented - he used knives! When we consider the types of killers that favour cutting weapons, we usually encounter more disorganized or mixed offenders who spend relatively little time with their victims - either attacking them on the streets in a stabbing frenzy, or breaking into their homes ala Tommy Lynn Sells, Richard Ramirez. I am unable to recall a single lust murderer who kept his victim as long as a month before stabbing her to death. Perhaps this is because the knife is a weapon of frenzy - the perfect instrument for an angry/excited sadist to unleash when his urges can no longer be restrained. These tensions explode in a sensuous cocktail of blood and mutilation. It is therefore hard for me to reconcile the use of a knife with the entomologist's evidence that Cindy was kept for a month. However, as this is the evidence I have to work with, I will accept it and do my best.
The Murderer of Cindy Halliday
Sex/Gender: The UNSUB is a male, and identifies as such.
Age: The UNSUB was between the ages of 25-40 in 1992 when Cindy was murdered. A younger offender is less likely to have had the income to both own a vehicle and an indoor area to keep Cindy captive and store her remains for such a lengthy period. This is further buttressed by the complexity of the crime, and the lack of evidence at the crime scenes. Here we have an elaborate 4-5 crime scene situation: 1) An unknown location where Cindy first came into contact with the UNSUB, 2) Another unknown location where she was kept captive, slain and probably stored for two months, 3) The scene where her wallet was found, 4) The scene where her jacket was found, 5) The scene where her remains were found. We do not typically see this kind of complexity in younger offenders as they lack the means, confidence and wisdom to exert such a degree of control.
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUB is Caucasian. There are no known cases of elaborate long term capture, torture and necrophilia within other racial/ethnic groups in North America. Cindy also disappeared and was found in a primarily white, rural area of Ontario.
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: Of all the UNSUBs profiled on this blog, Cindy Halliday's murderer is by far the most intelligent, with an IQ of at least 115. This does not mean that his social intelligence is high. All that was necessary for the commission of this crime was the ability to put a female hitchhiker at ease long enough to trick her into his car. It is the series of methodical actions following the abduction that demonstrate the UNSUB's cunning: keeping Cindy captive for at least a month, the absence of DNA or other evidence at the crime scenes, and the mocking way he doled out her personal possessions and remains within the same area while avoiding being spotted by witnesses. It is nearly impossible to confidently predict his occupation, though I believe that as somebody obsessed with control he will be self employed or work in a job that gives him a great deal of autonomy or authority. This is in keeping with other lust killers who we see combine lengthy periods of torture with a necrophiliac's obsessive need to control a corpse (John Wayne Gacy, Robert Berdella, Fred West, Gary Heidnik - all owned their own businesses; Gerard Schaeffer was a cop). Sometimes this type of killer is a student (Ted Bundy, John Norman Collins), but somebody with this level of income would not be able to afford a large enough dwelling to keep a captive without drawing attention to himself. Both Bundy and Collins, for instance, killed their victims in their cars, outside or occasionally in abandoned buildings, keeping the remains in the last two and moving them around later. I can not say if the UNSUB is blue collar or white collar, as there is no evidence to point in either direction. However, I CAN guarantee that he is a compulsive driver, and probably had a great deal of mileage on his car at the time of the abduction. Socially, he will be competent enough to fit in rather easily, though will tend to have close workmates rather than friends. That said, he may at times seem eccentric, peculiar or exhibit signs of having a short temper, though those around him will just write this off as part of his nature and laugh about it. He will exude an air of superiority, and lie compulsively. I have strong gut feeling that the UNSUB might be involved in law enforcement or a similar authoritative position such as a security guard, mall cop, firefighter etc.
Appearance: The UNSUB exhibits a great deal of self discipline, in fact it permeates his entire being. This is to compensate for the powerlessness he felt in his formative years. Therefore we can expect him to be well groomed and with good hygiene - probably one of the reasons Cindy felt comfortable getting into his car in the first place. This neatness will extend to his vehicle and home. Though he may not be rich or cultured, he does the best with what he has, and will appear outwardly quite normal.
Residence: As he is a highly mobile killer, it could be anywhere in the areas north of Toronto, and south of Georgian Bay.
Relationships/family: The UNSUB may have had a girlfriend at the time of Cindy's murder, but will have lived alone. If an accomplice was involved, it would have been a woman with a psychological makeup reminiscent of Rose West, though we can probably discount the West marriage as a rare aberration in the field of sexual homicide. The UNSUB harbours a deep seated hatred and need to control women, stemming from a poor relationship with his mother during childhood. If we are to look into the histories of Collins, Gacy, Berdella and Heidnik, we find examples of abusive disciplinarian father figures. This may have been the case here, though the UNSUB's hatred was projected onto his mother because she did not intervene to prevent the beatings and ridicule, instead "standing by her man" at the expense of the child. Another possibility is that his mother simply neglected him or was emotionally cold. I do not think the UNSUB was actively physically or sexually abused by a maternal figure. Such abuse would have stemmed from his father, stepfather or mother's boyfriends. This childhood turmoil will have dogged the UNSUB throughout his life. If he was popular growing up and had girlfriends, he will have been rough and sexually aggressive with them. In the more likely event that he was a loner in elementary school and high school, he will have not had any relationships with the opposite sex until after graduation.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: I believe Cindy's killer is a serial murderer, and due to the level of organization shown, she was not his first victim. Though I approach this with some hesitance, I can see behavioural links to the unsolved Christine Jessop murder in 1984, the UNSUB's crimes becoming more refined with his maturity and awareness of DNA evidence. I am NOT saying this is a definite link, merely a possibility, based on criminal behaviour and geography. He will have had a religious upbringing, and will use alcohol as a facilitator for his crimes. As a highly intelligent offender, he may never have been caught for previous offences, but I believe his criminal history could include window peeping, break and enter, burglary, impersonating authority figures, exhibitionism, animal torture and child molestation/sexual assault. Unless involved in the military or police, there will be no record of his psychiatric history, however I will go out on a limb and diagnose him as a sexually sadistic psychopath, with obsessive compulsive tendencies. He will exhibit several bizarre and unusual fetishes, potentially necrophilia, coprophilia, pedophilia and cross dressing.
Sources:
http://www.barrieadvance.com/barrieadvance/article/50574
http://www.midlandmirror.com/midlandmirror/article/35666
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1087200
WHAT: Having disappeared while hitchhiking north from Barrie, Cindy's wallet was soon found by a man foraging for bottles. Her jacket was discovered neatly folded in a reforestation area the next month, followed by her skeletal remains and shoes a month later. As the vicinity had been thoroughly searched following the discovery of the jacket, it is believed Cindy's killer left the clothing first before depositing her body at a subsequent date. Though Cindy's skull was the only piece of the skeleton found in tact, an autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed to death (the amount of stab wounds have not been released to the public). A year long study by an entomologist concluded that her remains had only been where they were found for a period of about 30 days. Furthermore, tests on Cindy's brain matter reveal she may only have been dead for as long as a month. This meant she would have spent late-April/early-May in captivity.
WHERE: Cindy went missing somewhere between Midhurst and Waverley, along Highway 26. She had been to visit her boyfriend in a Barrie jail, and was last seen at a Hasty Market in Midhurst. The wallet was discovered by a man collecting bottles in a wooded area off Horseshoe Valley Road, west of Highway 400. This was close to the spot where her jacket and remains were later found.
WHEN: Cindy was spotted at the Hasty Market at around 5:30- 6:30 PM on April 19, 1992. She was officially reported missing two days later. On May 3, her wallet was discovered. Her jacket was located 13 days later on May 16, and her remains on June 16. Reports in available media sources contradict as to the precise dates and order in which her wallet, jacket and bones were found. As it is of no consequence to this profile, save to say that the killer delivered them back to the public at intervals, I will not dwell on the details.
HOW: The most likely scenario was that Cindy was picked up hitchhiking by a sadistic murderer, who managed to gain control over her. At this point, she would have been taken to an indoor location where she was held prisoner for a month. Her ordeal would undoubtedly have consisted of multiple rapes and sexual assaults, and probably some unknown degree of torture. As her remains were skeletal and scattered by animals when they were found, we can never truly know what indignities she suffered. Tragically, no DNA was recovered from any of the crime scenes.
WHY: Power and control. The perpetrator not only enjoyed exerting these over Cindy both while she was alive and upon her body after her death, but also toyed with the police by strategically placing items belonging to Cindy, including her remains, in the same area over a period of two months. The UNSUB is undoubtedly a sexual sadist, and given the amount of time he spent with the corpse, possibly a necrophiliac.
Forewarning: The Most Perplexing Profile Yet
Profiling the murderer of Cindy Halliday has been the most baffling experience I have had in amateur crimonology so far. Typically, men who keep their victims for long periods of time tend to kill them by strangulation, or torture them to death. There have also been examples of suffocation, drowning and bludgeoning. Yet this UNSUB did something unprecedented - he used knives! When we consider the types of killers that favour cutting weapons, we usually encounter more disorganized or mixed offenders who spend relatively little time with their victims - either attacking them on the streets in a stabbing frenzy, or breaking into their homes ala Tommy Lynn Sells, Richard Ramirez. I am unable to recall a single lust murderer who kept his victim as long as a month before stabbing her to death. Perhaps this is because the knife is a weapon of frenzy - the perfect instrument for an angry/excited sadist to unleash when his urges can no longer be restrained. These tensions explode in a sensuous cocktail of blood and mutilation. It is therefore hard for me to reconcile the use of a knife with the entomologist's evidence that Cindy was kept for a month. However, as this is the evidence I have to work with, I will accept it and do my best.
The Murderer of Cindy Halliday
Sex/Gender: The UNSUB is a male, and identifies as such.
Age: The UNSUB was between the ages of 25-40 in 1992 when Cindy was murdered. A younger offender is less likely to have had the income to both own a vehicle and an indoor area to keep Cindy captive and store her remains for such a lengthy period. This is further buttressed by the complexity of the crime, and the lack of evidence at the crime scenes. Here we have an elaborate 4-5 crime scene situation: 1) An unknown location where Cindy first came into contact with the UNSUB, 2) Another unknown location where she was kept captive, slain and probably stored for two months, 3) The scene where her wallet was found, 4) The scene where her jacket was found, 5) The scene where her remains were found. We do not typically see this kind of complexity in younger offenders as they lack the means, confidence and wisdom to exert such a degree of control.
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUB is Caucasian. There are no known cases of elaborate long term capture, torture and necrophilia within other racial/ethnic groups in North America. Cindy also disappeared and was found in a primarily white, rural area of Ontario.
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: Of all the UNSUBs profiled on this blog, Cindy Halliday's murderer is by far the most intelligent, with an IQ of at least 115. This does not mean that his social intelligence is high. All that was necessary for the commission of this crime was the ability to put a female hitchhiker at ease long enough to trick her into his car. It is the series of methodical actions following the abduction that demonstrate the UNSUB's cunning: keeping Cindy captive for at least a month, the absence of DNA or other evidence at the crime scenes, and the mocking way he doled out her personal possessions and remains within the same area while avoiding being spotted by witnesses. It is nearly impossible to confidently predict his occupation, though I believe that as somebody obsessed with control he will be self employed or work in a job that gives him a great deal of autonomy or authority. This is in keeping with other lust killers who we see combine lengthy periods of torture with a necrophiliac's obsessive need to control a corpse (John Wayne Gacy, Robert Berdella, Fred West, Gary Heidnik - all owned their own businesses; Gerard Schaeffer was a cop). Sometimes this type of killer is a student (Ted Bundy, John Norman Collins), but somebody with this level of income would not be able to afford a large enough dwelling to keep a captive without drawing attention to himself. Both Bundy and Collins, for instance, killed their victims in their cars, outside or occasionally in abandoned buildings, keeping the remains in the last two and moving them around later. I can not say if the UNSUB is blue collar or white collar, as there is no evidence to point in either direction. However, I CAN guarantee that he is a compulsive driver, and probably had a great deal of mileage on his car at the time of the abduction. Socially, he will be competent enough to fit in rather easily, though will tend to have close workmates rather than friends. That said, he may at times seem eccentric, peculiar or exhibit signs of having a short temper, though those around him will just write this off as part of his nature and laugh about it. He will exude an air of superiority, and lie compulsively. I have strong gut feeling that the UNSUB might be involved in law enforcement or a similar authoritative position such as a security guard, mall cop, firefighter etc.
Appearance: The UNSUB exhibits a great deal of self discipline, in fact it permeates his entire being. This is to compensate for the powerlessness he felt in his formative years. Therefore we can expect him to be well groomed and with good hygiene - probably one of the reasons Cindy felt comfortable getting into his car in the first place. This neatness will extend to his vehicle and home. Though he may not be rich or cultured, he does the best with what he has, and will appear outwardly quite normal.
Residence: As he is a highly mobile killer, it could be anywhere in the areas north of Toronto, and south of Georgian Bay.
Relationships/family: The UNSUB may have had a girlfriend at the time of Cindy's murder, but will have lived alone. If an accomplice was involved, it would have been a woman with a psychological makeup reminiscent of Rose West, though we can probably discount the West marriage as a rare aberration in the field of sexual homicide. The UNSUB harbours a deep seated hatred and need to control women, stemming from a poor relationship with his mother during childhood. If we are to look into the histories of Collins, Gacy, Berdella and Heidnik, we find examples of abusive disciplinarian father figures. This may have been the case here, though the UNSUB's hatred was projected onto his mother because she did not intervene to prevent the beatings and ridicule, instead "standing by her man" at the expense of the child. Another possibility is that his mother simply neglected him or was emotionally cold. I do not think the UNSUB was actively physically or sexually abused by a maternal figure. Such abuse would have stemmed from his father, stepfather or mother's boyfriends. This childhood turmoil will have dogged the UNSUB throughout his life. If he was popular growing up and had girlfriends, he will have been rough and sexually aggressive with them. In the more likely event that he was a loner in elementary school and high school, he will have not had any relationships with the opposite sex until after graduation.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: I believe Cindy's killer is a serial murderer, and due to the level of organization shown, she was not his first victim. Though I approach this with some hesitance, I can see behavioural links to the unsolved Christine Jessop murder in 1984, the UNSUB's crimes becoming more refined with his maturity and awareness of DNA evidence. I am NOT saying this is a definite link, merely a possibility, based on criminal behaviour and geography. He will have had a religious upbringing, and will use alcohol as a facilitator for his crimes. As a highly intelligent offender, he may never have been caught for previous offences, but I believe his criminal history could include window peeping, break and enter, burglary, impersonating authority figures, exhibitionism, animal torture and child molestation/sexual assault. Unless involved in the military or police, there will be no record of his psychiatric history, however I will go out on a limb and diagnose him as a sexually sadistic psychopath, with obsessive compulsive tendencies. He will exhibit several bizarre and unusual fetishes, potentially necrophilia, coprophilia, pedophilia and cross dressing.
Sources:
http://www.barrieadvance.com/barrieadvance/article/50574
http://www.midlandmirror.com/midlandmirror/article/35666
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1087200
Saturday 9 April 2011
The McCann disappearance profile: Vader is a match!
Having finalized the profile of the offenders involved in the McCann disappearance, I decided that it was time to take a look at the RCMP's chief suspect in the case, Travis Vader. I came across this article which refers to Vader's history, and was astonished:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Police+manhunt+centres+suspect+with+long+criminal+history/3290736/story.html
Vader matches my profile of the dominant offender almost exactly! The problem is that I predicted the dominant offender wouldn't crack, and so far Vader has continued to deny any involvement in the disappearances. The best strategy police can pursue at the moment is to use Vader to try and find his accomplice, who is more likely to break under pressure. Good luck to the RCMP. I believe you have found the right suspect, and will be moving on.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Police+manhunt+centres+suspect+with+long+criminal+history/3290736/story.html
Vader matches my profile of the dominant offender almost exactly! The problem is that I predicted the dominant offender wouldn't crack, and so far Vader has continued to deny any involvement in the disappearances. The best strategy police can pursue at the moment is to use Vader to try and find his accomplice, who is more likely to break under pressure. Good luck to the RCMP. I believe you have found the right suspect, and will be moving on.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Missing Persons Case #1: Lyle and Marie McCann
As some of you may know, I post regularly on http://www.unsolvedcanada.com/ under the name "redbeard". In December of last year I was asked by a contributor to the forum to give my two cents regarding the strange disappearance of Alberta natives Lyle and Marie McCann in July 2010. Due to the continued interest in Western Canada regarding this case, and the fact that the McCanns still remain missing, I am now going to post the theory/profile I formulated in December onto this blog. Before I wrote it, I was aware that a suspect named Travis Vader had been taken into custody, however in order not to compromise the profile, I purposely avoided looking into Vader's past or personality. You'll just have to trust me on this one. Subsequently, I have been told that the profile fits Vader like a glove. Let's look at what happened:
WHO: Lyle (78/m) and Marie McCann (77/f), a retired couple who were driving from their hometown of St. Albert, Alberta to meet with their daughter in Abbotsford, British Columbia on July 10. They were towing an SUV behind their motorhome.
WHAT: Both Lyle and Marie are missing persons, though their white Gulf Stream Sun Voyager was found burnt in a deliberate act of arson soon after. A light green 2006 Hyundai Tucson SUV belonging to the couple was later discovered abandoned. This seems to indicate that they were taken hostage somewhere after leaving the gas station at St. Albert.
WHERE: The Sun Voyager motor home was found burnt nearly beyond recognition at the end of a dead end road near Minnow Lake Campground, a wooded area south of Edson, Alberta. Previously it had been seen at the campground, with the Hyundai Tucson detached and being driven around by an adult male. The Hyundai Tucson was ditched deep in the bush, 30 km east of Edson by Carrot Creek.
WHEN: Lyle and Marie were last seen on July 3, 2010, caught on a gas station camera in St. Albert. Their motor home was next spotted on July 4 and 5 at Minnow Lake campground and later found in flames on July 5. The Tucson was finally located on July 16.
HOW: As the McCanns are missing we don't know the details. However, an official at the campground recalls knocking on the door of the Sun Voyager, and getting no reply. This happened mere hours before the motor home was transported from the area and set alight. The previous day, a witness recounted seeing two men in their late thirties inside the Voyager, while it was parked at the campground. Interestingly, I believe two UNSUBS must have been involved in this crime due to the amount of work involved: 1) controlling two people, 2) dealing with separate vehicles, 3) torching the motor home in a highly effective manner, then driving off quickly, 4) dumping two bodies so efficiently that they have yet to be found, while managing to pull off the fire and abandoning the vehicles. Based on eye witness reports, I will proceed with the assumption that they both were male.
WHY: I believe the initial motive was to rob the couple, but somewhere along the line things escalated into murder and an attempt to cover up evidence through arson. We know the McCanns had bank cards, but following the disappearance, there is no record of them being used. This could indicate that the UNSUBs were aware they could be tracked by doing so, or didn't know the PIN number.
In the latter case, they might have employed some sort of pressure (death threats or torture) to try to extract this information from the McCanns, but the fact that no attempt was made to withdraw money shows that either the elderly couple bravely held out, or no efforts to obtain the PIN number were made.
The UNSUB might have killed the couple 1) as punishment for refusing to divulge bank account information, 2) out of anger because he discovered they were not carrying as much cash as he assumed, 3) to prevent them from identifying him, 4) on a power trip, or 5) some combination of these factors (which I find most plausible). The extent of the violence may have initially been unplanned, but was exacerbated by the use of drugs and alcohol.
I am 99% certain the McCanns are dead. If they were being held for ransom, a letter would have been delivered to the family by now, and I've certainly never heard of a couple in their late seventies being sold into hard labour or sex slavery. They may have been left bound in the middle of nowhere, and unable to free themselves, eventually succumbed to the elements or thirst. More likely they were shot at close range or beaten to death and are lying in the woods, possibly in a shallow grave. I doubt the sort of perpetrator who would incinerate a motor home would bother digging anything elaborate. Which brings us to the profile:
The McCann Murderers
Sex/Gender: Both UNSUBS are male, and identify as such.
Age: The dominant UNSUB in the partnership will be between 25-45 years of age (big range yes, but there are no bodies so this calls for broad brush strokes). His accomplice may be of any age over 16.
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUBs will be Caucasian. I believe they must have used a ruse to approach the McCanns, which would have failed if they had been of any other race. Unusual racial characteristics would also have been noted by eye witnesses. This IS rural Alberta, after all.
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: The dominant offender will be of slightly above average IQ, though uneducated and lacking in vocabulary. His intellect will instead manifest in an aptitude for machines or carpentry, and a certain devious cunning. He will be experienced with vehicles. Boths UNSUBs are blue collar, working class outdoorsmen and in good physical shape for their age. The dominant offender is the kind of guy you wouldn't want to pick a bar fight with, though his accomplice will seem more meek, if a little rough around the edges. The highest level of education either man will have is a high school diploma, if they bothered to finish at all. The dominant offender will have a pronounced attitude problem and will thus be unlikely to keep a job for an extended period. At the time of the disappearances he will have been unemployed, or doing part time hands-on work, using criminal activities such as drug dealing or robbery to supplement his income. The more submissive accomplice may, on the other hand, have held a menial job for a number of years, due to his ability to comply and defer to an authority figure. Neither men will have occupations where they will have to deal with the public.
Unlike the Parkdale Bludgeoner and Tice/Gilmour murderer I profiled previously, these UNSUBS will be more socially adept, extroverted offenders. That said, they will only be able to move in certain circles (the bar scene, blue collar workers, criminals). They will have varying degrees of substance abuse problems - definitely alcohol, but possibly also cocaine, pills or methamphetamine. I do not classify marijuana, which they use or have used, as a substance of any note. You are entitled to your views on the subject. I would be willing to wager that both UNSUBS were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs during the commission of this crime.
They will try to portray themselves as manly rebels and be brusque in their interactions, using swear words liberally, picking fights etc. Indeed, the dominant offender will view himself as a wolf among sheep who deserve to be preyed upon. He will even see his accomplice as a weakling he manipulates or bullies into doing his will, and will probably be right.
Appearance: Because of their desire to view themselves as masculine outlaws, these men will exhibit some combination of the following physical qualities: facial hair, long hair, tattoos, piercings, boots (combat or steel-toed), bandanas, camouflage clothing etc. That said, most of their clothing will be oriented towards comfort and what they can afford. They will try to look dangerous, but not necessarily flashy. Their goal is not to impress by wealth or taste, but through intimidation, and they will appear decidedly working class.
Residence: The UNSUBS seem well oriented to the locations where the vehicles were found, meaning they have spent a great deal of time around the Edson area. As for their current residence, it could be anywhere between St. Albert to a few kilometres west of Edson.
Relationships/family: As both men will be fairly social and might even have a reputation in certain circles, it is likely they have wives or girlfriends and children. Undoubtedly their relationships will be so turbulent due to their selfishness, substance abuse and anger (possible verbal and/or physical abuse and threats towards the women in their life), that these relationships will inevitably collapse. Therefore any domestic relationships they are involved with will be less than a year or two in duration. For this reason it is probable they will have a string of ex-wives, girlfriends, and children who they rarely see. Both men will have distant relationships with their parents, and the dominant partner will undoubtedly have had a father figure who physically abused him and/or his mother. His mother will have been emotionally unavailable to him. I imagine there would have been a history of substance abuse in the home growing up which facilitated this abuse and neglect.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: Though both UNSUBS will have a sordid past, the dominant partner will be a career criminal, probably with numerous priors including breaking and entering, domestic abuse and assault. He WILL have a record.
The Big Question: What will these types of offenders have done with the McCanns' bodies?
There are a few possibilities: 1) They dumped them first, and thought about burning the motor home later to get rid of evidence, or just for kicks (there were recent arsons reported in the area), 2) They were worried the bodies wouldn't burn properly before the fire was put out, leaving DNA evidence and clues to the cause of death, 3) They took the McCanns to another location, attempting to torture the PIN number info from them, were unsuccessful, killed them at this location, and then decided to dump and burn the motor home.
My instinct is that the UNSUBS aren't very cerebral. It's not that they're dumb, they just wouldn't be intellectually gratified knowing they'd made the bodies impossible to find. They're ultimately lazy and wouldn't have spent a great deal of time disposing of the bodies. They might drive into a secluded or remote area, but I doubt the corpses will be far from a road or trail. Why go to elaborate lengths to hide the bodies after you've drawn attention to yourself by incincerating a mobile home? As far as offenders who start fires go, my research tells me they tend to be fairly lackadaisical about corpse disposal, and in fact I'm amazed the bodies were moved at all. Chances are the remains are not well hidden, and have simply been overlooked by search teams.
Though they may be burnt or buried in a shallow grave, I would rule out dismemberment. Such an act will only occur if it is necessary for body disposal, or brings sexual gratification to the offender. Considering the victimology (older couple, less chance of sexual component), type of transportation (SUV and motor home) and the availability of vast dumping grounds, dismemberment would be time consuming, messy and superfluous. It is a meticulous process that requires a rare level of cold-bloodedness, and I am unaware of any murderers who have both the predilection for arson and dismemberment. In short, I just don't see that level of deliberation, care and attention to detail in the kind of offender who would jack an old couple's motor home, drive around in their vehicles for days and then set it ablaze, drawing attention to their crimes. The guys who did this are pissed off hellraisers with zero ability to delay gratification, constant emotional instability and no imagination. Think Ted Bundy, and look in the TOTALLY opposite direction.
By now animals will have scattered the skeletal remains over a large area...
A Criminological Summary
It's important to keep in mind that this crime is not a particularly sophisticated one. The UNSUBs surprised a couple of pensioners in what appears to be broad daylight. Then, after getting some unknown but probably insignificant amount of money, murdered them (risking a 25 year sentence) and were forced to dispose of two bodies, a motor home and SUV. Wouldn't it make more sense and have fewer legal repercussions just to burglarize a middle-class home? The setting is more predictable and they wouldn't have to worry about disposing of cars, bodies, and mass media exposure.
Taking all this into consideration, it seems the crime was spontaneous, driven by the whims of two inebriated losers who saw an opportunity, and decided to seize it, rather than assessing whether or not it was a good idea. For the dominant offender in the partnership, there was clearly more than just a simple material motive to this crime. This was a "fuck you" to the world. It wasn't about sex, but certainly would have contained elements of power, no matter how subconscious they were. The thrill of killing: the same mentality as a pack of wayward teens kicking somebody to death simply for the rush.
As previously stated, the dominant UNSUB is an intelligent man, but once you factor in 1) lack of impulse control, 2) mind altering substances, and 3) the lack of any need to take pride in the intellectual way you have committed your crimes; we have an offender of some intelligence committing a murder that falls far short of his natural IQ.
Suggested strategies for police:
Once in custody, the dominant offender won't crack under pressure. He is intelligent and experienced enough with the criminal justice system to know the consequences of what will happen if he does. He also will know if the police have little evidence against him, and gets off psychologically playing the part of the unflappable bad guy. In all probability he is a sociopath. I would instead focus on interrogating the submissive partner, attempting to unnerve him by implying you know more than you do. He will be more susceptible to bluffs, and will implicate his accomplice in return for a plea bargain.
If there was no evidence (blood) found in the back of the abandoned SUV, then I would guess the bodies had been dumped prior, and that the stealing of the SUV was just a quick getaway plan. In this case, I would focus the search on the area around the motor home and along the highways leading from the outskirts of St. Albert to the site of the fire. Because of the arson, I suspect the motor home is the place where the murder took place, although the couple could also have been marched into the woods. The fire will have been set to cover evidence, but whether this is evidence of murder, ransacking, or just to eliminate the offender's DNA is unknown. The offender also felt some degree of power gratification in starting the fire, and yes, it MAY be related to other arsons in the area... but not necessarily.
Lee, do you think this could be the work of a serial killer?
From what I have gathered from this case so far, I would think that the dominant perpetrator would be capable of killing casually and remoreselessly again (he might have already done so), but I wouldn't necessarily say "this is definitely the work of a serial killer". If they are ever recovered, the bodies will reveal a lot more info about the psychology of the UNSUB. Right now, I see him as somebody who is compelled to commit anti-social activities, but not necessarily a series of homicides. That doesn't mean he hasn't, it just means he might not have done so in the past or will ever do again. He is not DRIVEN to kill, instead he takes it far too casually - it doesn't define his life or engross his fantasies. He just doesn't give a rat's ass.
BUT because he doesn't give a rat's ass, if he were a serial killer, it would be difficult to connect his crimes, unless you have more arson based murders. I envision the UNSUB as the type who would shoot a 7-11 clerk during a hold up; abduct a girl, rape and strangle her; then do something totally different, as in the case of the McCanns. His casual attitude towards killing means that there will be no ritual or "signature" present.
Sources: http://www.unsolvedcanada.com/ - There are two threads on the McCanns that include links to their information.
WHO: Lyle (78/m) and Marie McCann (77/f), a retired couple who were driving from their hometown of St. Albert, Alberta to meet with their daughter in Abbotsford, British Columbia on July 10. They were towing an SUV behind their motorhome.
WHAT: Both Lyle and Marie are missing persons, though their white Gulf Stream Sun Voyager was found burnt in a deliberate act of arson soon after. A light green 2006 Hyundai Tucson SUV belonging to the couple was later discovered abandoned. This seems to indicate that they were taken hostage somewhere after leaving the gas station at St. Albert.
WHERE: The Sun Voyager motor home was found burnt nearly beyond recognition at the end of a dead end road near Minnow Lake Campground, a wooded area south of Edson, Alberta. Previously it had been seen at the campground, with the Hyundai Tucson detached and being driven around by an adult male. The Hyundai Tucson was ditched deep in the bush, 30 km east of Edson by Carrot Creek.
WHEN: Lyle and Marie were last seen on July 3, 2010, caught on a gas station camera in St. Albert. Their motor home was next spotted on July 4 and 5 at Minnow Lake campground and later found in flames on July 5. The Tucson was finally located on July 16.
HOW: As the McCanns are missing we don't know the details. However, an official at the campground recalls knocking on the door of the Sun Voyager, and getting no reply. This happened mere hours before the motor home was transported from the area and set alight. The previous day, a witness recounted seeing two men in their late thirties inside the Voyager, while it was parked at the campground. Interestingly, I believe two UNSUBS must have been involved in this crime due to the amount of work involved: 1) controlling two people, 2) dealing with separate vehicles, 3) torching the motor home in a highly effective manner, then driving off quickly, 4) dumping two bodies so efficiently that they have yet to be found, while managing to pull off the fire and abandoning the vehicles. Based on eye witness reports, I will proceed with the assumption that they both were male.
WHY: I believe the initial motive was to rob the couple, but somewhere along the line things escalated into murder and an attempt to cover up evidence through arson. We know the McCanns had bank cards, but following the disappearance, there is no record of them being used. This could indicate that the UNSUBs were aware they could be tracked by doing so, or didn't know the PIN number.
In the latter case, they might have employed some sort of pressure (death threats or torture) to try to extract this information from the McCanns, but the fact that no attempt was made to withdraw money shows that either the elderly couple bravely held out, or no efforts to obtain the PIN number were made.
The UNSUB might have killed the couple 1) as punishment for refusing to divulge bank account information, 2) out of anger because he discovered they were not carrying as much cash as he assumed, 3) to prevent them from identifying him, 4) on a power trip, or 5) some combination of these factors (which I find most plausible). The extent of the violence may have initially been unplanned, but was exacerbated by the use of drugs and alcohol.
I am 99% certain the McCanns are dead. If they were being held for ransom, a letter would have been delivered to the family by now, and I've certainly never heard of a couple in their late seventies being sold into hard labour or sex slavery. They may have been left bound in the middle of nowhere, and unable to free themselves, eventually succumbed to the elements or thirst. More likely they were shot at close range or beaten to death and are lying in the woods, possibly in a shallow grave. I doubt the sort of perpetrator who would incinerate a motor home would bother digging anything elaborate. Which brings us to the profile:
The McCann Murderers
Sex/Gender: Both UNSUBS are male, and identify as such.
Age: The dominant UNSUB in the partnership will be between 25-45 years of age (big range yes, but there are no bodies so this calls for broad brush strokes). His accomplice may be of any age over 16.
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUBs will be Caucasian. I believe they must have used a ruse to approach the McCanns, which would have failed if they had been of any other race. Unusual racial characteristics would also have been noted by eye witnesses. This IS rural Alberta, after all.
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: The dominant offender will be of slightly above average IQ, though uneducated and lacking in vocabulary. His intellect will instead manifest in an aptitude for machines or carpentry, and a certain devious cunning. He will be experienced with vehicles. Boths UNSUBs are blue collar, working class outdoorsmen and in good physical shape for their age. The dominant offender is the kind of guy you wouldn't want to pick a bar fight with, though his accomplice will seem more meek, if a little rough around the edges. The highest level of education either man will have is a high school diploma, if they bothered to finish at all. The dominant offender will have a pronounced attitude problem and will thus be unlikely to keep a job for an extended period. At the time of the disappearances he will have been unemployed, or doing part time hands-on work, using criminal activities such as drug dealing or robbery to supplement his income. The more submissive accomplice may, on the other hand, have held a menial job for a number of years, due to his ability to comply and defer to an authority figure. Neither men will have occupations where they will have to deal with the public.
Unlike the Parkdale Bludgeoner and Tice/Gilmour murderer I profiled previously, these UNSUBS will be more socially adept, extroverted offenders. That said, they will only be able to move in certain circles (the bar scene, blue collar workers, criminals). They will have varying degrees of substance abuse problems - definitely alcohol, but possibly also cocaine, pills or methamphetamine. I do not classify marijuana, which they use or have used, as a substance of any note. You are entitled to your views on the subject. I would be willing to wager that both UNSUBS were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs during the commission of this crime.
They will try to portray themselves as manly rebels and be brusque in their interactions, using swear words liberally, picking fights etc. Indeed, the dominant offender will view himself as a wolf among sheep who deserve to be preyed upon. He will even see his accomplice as a weakling he manipulates or bullies into doing his will, and will probably be right.
Appearance: Because of their desire to view themselves as masculine outlaws, these men will exhibit some combination of the following physical qualities: facial hair, long hair, tattoos, piercings, boots (combat or steel-toed), bandanas, camouflage clothing etc. That said, most of their clothing will be oriented towards comfort and what they can afford. They will try to look dangerous, but not necessarily flashy. Their goal is not to impress by wealth or taste, but through intimidation, and they will appear decidedly working class.
Residence: The UNSUBS seem well oriented to the locations where the vehicles were found, meaning they have spent a great deal of time around the Edson area. As for their current residence, it could be anywhere between St. Albert to a few kilometres west of Edson.
Relationships/family: As both men will be fairly social and might even have a reputation in certain circles, it is likely they have wives or girlfriends and children. Undoubtedly their relationships will be so turbulent due to their selfishness, substance abuse and anger (possible verbal and/or physical abuse and threats towards the women in their life), that these relationships will inevitably collapse. Therefore any domestic relationships they are involved with will be less than a year or two in duration. For this reason it is probable they will have a string of ex-wives, girlfriends, and children who they rarely see. Both men will have distant relationships with their parents, and the dominant partner will undoubtedly have had a father figure who physically abused him and/or his mother. His mother will have been emotionally unavailable to him. I imagine there would have been a history of substance abuse in the home growing up which facilitated this abuse and neglect.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: Though both UNSUBS will have a sordid past, the dominant partner will be a career criminal, probably with numerous priors including breaking and entering, domestic abuse and assault. He WILL have a record.
The Big Question: What will these types of offenders have done with the McCanns' bodies?
There are a few possibilities: 1) They dumped them first, and thought about burning the motor home later to get rid of evidence, or just for kicks (there were recent arsons reported in the area), 2) They were worried the bodies wouldn't burn properly before the fire was put out, leaving DNA evidence and clues to the cause of death, 3) They took the McCanns to another location, attempting to torture the PIN number info from them, were unsuccessful, killed them at this location, and then decided to dump and burn the motor home.
My instinct is that the UNSUBS aren't very cerebral. It's not that they're dumb, they just wouldn't be intellectually gratified knowing they'd made the bodies impossible to find. They're ultimately lazy and wouldn't have spent a great deal of time disposing of the bodies. They might drive into a secluded or remote area, but I doubt the corpses will be far from a road or trail. Why go to elaborate lengths to hide the bodies after you've drawn attention to yourself by incincerating a mobile home? As far as offenders who start fires go, my research tells me they tend to be fairly lackadaisical about corpse disposal, and in fact I'm amazed the bodies were moved at all. Chances are the remains are not well hidden, and have simply been overlooked by search teams.
Though they may be burnt or buried in a shallow grave, I would rule out dismemberment. Such an act will only occur if it is necessary for body disposal, or brings sexual gratification to the offender. Considering the victimology (older couple, less chance of sexual component), type of transportation (SUV and motor home) and the availability of vast dumping grounds, dismemberment would be time consuming, messy and superfluous. It is a meticulous process that requires a rare level of cold-bloodedness, and I am unaware of any murderers who have both the predilection for arson and dismemberment. In short, I just don't see that level of deliberation, care and attention to detail in the kind of offender who would jack an old couple's motor home, drive around in their vehicles for days and then set it ablaze, drawing attention to their crimes. The guys who did this are pissed off hellraisers with zero ability to delay gratification, constant emotional instability and no imagination. Think Ted Bundy, and look in the TOTALLY opposite direction.
By now animals will have scattered the skeletal remains over a large area...
A Criminological Summary
It's important to keep in mind that this crime is not a particularly sophisticated one. The UNSUBs surprised a couple of pensioners in what appears to be broad daylight. Then, after getting some unknown but probably insignificant amount of money, murdered them (risking a 25 year sentence) and were forced to dispose of two bodies, a motor home and SUV. Wouldn't it make more sense and have fewer legal repercussions just to burglarize a middle-class home? The setting is more predictable and they wouldn't have to worry about disposing of cars, bodies, and mass media exposure.
Taking all this into consideration, it seems the crime was spontaneous, driven by the whims of two inebriated losers who saw an opportunity, and decided to seize it, rather than assessing whether or not it was a good idea. For the dominant offender in the partnership, there was clearly more than just a simple material motive to this crime. This was a "fuck you" to the world. It wasn't about sex, but certainly would have contained elements of power, no matter how subconscious they were. The thrill of killing: the same mentality as a pack of wayward teens kicking somebody to death simply for the rush.
As previously stated, the dominant UNSUB is an intelligent man, but once you factor in 1) lack of impulse control, 2) mind altering substances, and 3) the lack of any need to take pride in the intellectual way you have committed your crimes; we have an offender of some intelligence committing a murder that falls far short of his natural IQ.
Suggested strategies for police:
Once in custody, the dominant offender won't crack under pressure. He is intelligent and experienced enough with the criminal justice system to know the consequences of what will happen if he does. He also will know if the police have little evidence against him, and gets off psychologically playing the part of the unflappable bad guy. In all probability he is a sociopath. I would instead focus on interrogating the submissive partner, attempting to unnerve him by implying you know more than you do. He will be more susceptible to bluffs, and will implicate his accomplice in return for a plea bargain.
If there was no evidence (blood) found in the back of the abandoned SUV, then I would guess the bodies had been dumped prior, and that the stealing of the SUV was just a quick getaway plan. In this case, I would focus the search on the area around the motor home and along the highways leading from the outskirts of St. Albert to the site of the fire. Because of the arson, I suspect the motor home is the place where the murder took place, although the couple could also have been marched into the woods. The fire will have been set to cover evidence, but whether this is evidence of murder, ransacking, or just to eliminate the offender's DNA is unknown. The offender also felt some degree of power gratification in starting the fire, and yes, it MAY be related to other arsons in the area... but not necessarily.
Lee, do you think this could be the work of a serial killer?
From what I have gathered from this case so far, I would think that the dominant perpetrator would be capable of killing casually and remoreselessly again (he might have already done so), but I wouldn't necessarily say "this is definitely the work of a serial killer". If they are ever recovered, the bodies will reveal a lot more info about the psychology of the UNSUB. Right now, I see him as somebody who is compelled to commit anti-social activities, but not necessarily a series of homicides. That doesn't mean he hasn't, it just means he might not have done so in the past or will ever do again. He is not DRIVEN to kill, instead he takes it far too casually - it doesn't define his life or engross his fantasies. He just doesn't give a rat's ass.
BUT because he doesn't give a rat's ass, if he were a serial killer, it would be difficult to connect his crimes, unless you have more arson based murders. I envision the UNSUB as the type who would shoot a 7-11 clerk during a hold up; abduct a girl, rape and strangle her; then do something totally different, as in the case of the McCanns. His casual attitude towards killing means that there will be no ritual or "signature" present.
Sources: http://www.unsolvedcanada.com/ - There are two threads on the McCanns that include links to their information.
UPDATE - New "Parkdale Bludgeoner" attack.
Unfortunately there was a sixth attack in Parkdale this morning. I've updated the original post to incorporate this, though my profile remains basically the same.
Friday 1 April 2011
Cold Case #1: Who killed Toronto women Susan O'Hara Tice and Erin Gilmour in 1983?
While corresponding with the Canadian true crime writer Robert Hoshowsky today I was reminded of two cold cases which appeared in his engrossing Unsolved (Dundurn, 2010). In 1983, two women were savagely murdered in Toronto, though their cases would not be linked until the advent of DNA technology. On the surface the killings seem to bear little resemblance to each other because the victims were so radically different. However if one is to take the UNSUB's Modus Operandi and Signature into consideration (concepts I explore in my forthcoming book Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder) then there are actually some striking similarities. Let's examine the first murder adhering to the 6 question method.
First victim
WHO: Susan O'Hara Tice. A 45-year-old female living alone in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood. She had recently split with her longtime husband, an employee at CIBC Wood Gundy. At the time of the murder, both spouses held separate residences in Toronto. Susan was a kindhearted plain woman with short dark hair. Trained in nursing, she had recently moved on to work with disadvantaged children.
WHAT: According to available sources, Susan was raped, strangled and stabbed multiple times in the chest and lungs.
WHERE: Susan's house on 341 Grace Street, near Harbord. Her body was found in the second floor bedroom.
WHEN: Sometime between Sunday August 14th, 1983, when she was last seen, and the following Wednesday August 17th when her family became concerned and sent a brother-in-law to check on her. A neighbour reported hearing screams late one night, but chose not to investigate.
HOW: There has been no mention of any ligatures or restraints being used to bind the victim. The strangulation seems to have been a mechanism of coercion or a sadistic appetizer to her death by multiple stab wounds. Nor have police hinted that any knives were taken or left at the crime scene. Susan's home had been ransacked and $75 in cash stolen. Perhaps most interestingly, a doorway entering the home was left ajar.
WHY: First let's analyze the second murder attributed to this UNSUB, because there are similarities that begin to form a picture of the offender's psychopathology.
Second victim
WHO: Erin Gilmour. Unlike Susan, Erin was only 22 with long blonde hair. She was notably attractive and came from a wealthy family. At the time of her death, Erin was working at Robin's Knit Shop in Yorkville, and living alone in the two bedroom apartment above. She was dating.
WHAT: As in Susan's case, Erin Gilmour was raped, strangled and repeatedly stabbed.
WHERE: In her apartment above Robin's Knit Shop at 37B Hazelton Avenue in Yorkville, an upscale fashionable district of Toronto. Erin was found on her bed. The distance from the Susan O'Hara Tice crime scene was less than 4 km!
WHEN: Between 8:45-9:20 PM on the cold winter's night of Tuesday December 20, 1983. Erin's boyfriend actually found her within minutes of her murder as the two had arranged a date at 9 PM. Unfortunately he had stopped at a bank machine and arrived too late to save her.
HOW: Almost identical to Susan's murder, except in this incidence the apartment was not ranscaked, nor was anything of monetary value taken. Yet the door was found ajar; Erin was strangled and raped before being stabbed; and again, there was no mention of ligatures or restraints. It is notable that Erin was working at Robin's Knit Shop until 8:45 that evening and had locked up the store and headed into a nearby laneway to enter her apartment, as there was no access from inside the shop.
WHY: Both slayings are classic cases of lust murders where some combination of anger, the need to assert power and sexual release have become inseparably and lethally fused. Unlike more selective offenders such as Ted Bundy and Paul Bernardo who sought out specific traits in their victims, this UNSUB chose two very different types of women because they shared one commonality - they lived alone. They were selected for their 1) sex, 2) vulnerability, and little more (though Erin's striking looks might have caused the UNSUB to focus on her). As in the case of the Parkdale Bludgeoner analyzed in the last blog entry, there is an absence of fetish evident at the crime scenes, showing that though the perpetrator was motivated by sexual desire and the need to control, his fantasy life was not significantly developed. If there is one item that seems to leap out, it is the repetitive stab wounds which might be indicative of overkill or picquerism (sexual arousal through the inflicting of knife wounds). From what little information has been released, I would say this is more a case of the former, as picquerist wounds tend to be clustered and shallower, just breaking the skin. In his Unsolved, Robert Hoshowsky speaks of stab wounds that penetrate the lungs, so we are probably looking at an UNSUB motivated more by boundless rage and a desire to destroy more than torture or fetishism.
Before constructing my profile I would like to tack on my usual ass covering warning: I am working on information provided in a book of unsolved crimes. Therefore if there are key pieces of evidence that have been excluded or that investigators are holding back, this will negatively effect my profile. As the FBI behavioural analyst John Douglas once said "garbage in, garbage out". So assuming that I am working with pretty much all the information there is, I will now construct a psychological and character profile of the Tice-Gilmour serial murderer.
The Tice-Gilmour Murderer
Sex/Gender: The UNSUB is a male, and identifies as such.
Age: The UNSUB was between the ages of 17-25 in 1983. An older offender would have a more developed fantasy life, and would have showed more confidence and control at the crime scenes. I will expand on this in the Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization period
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUB is Caucasian (this includes Hispanic) or black. We do not typically see these sorts of rape-slayings represented in other ethnicities. Despite the FBI's claims that serial killers murder strictly within their own racial group, this has been proven incorrect time and time again (Gary Heidnik, Cleophus Prince Jr, Derek Todd Lee are three examples that spring immediately to mind - yeah, it took 3 seconds).
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: This is not a man who exhibits any kind of self confidence and was probably unemployed at the time of the murders. His IQ will be lower than average and he will appear shy and a little odd - the quiet kid next door who won't make eye contact. He does not believe that women will ever find him attractive, so he harbours constant overwhelming (yet unsophisticated fantasies) of dominating them and using them sexually. He wants to project the pain of rejection he has felt all of his life onto them in the form of physical and emotional pain before destroying them, erasing the superiority they exude over him and offering him psychological relief. He will have no close friends and live a largely solitary existence, roaming the streets aimlessly, but always looking for vulnerable women to destroy. I think there is a distinct possibility that Susan O'Hara-Tice may have known or worked with him as a troubled youth, and this is why he targetted her as his first victim. To quote The Silence of the Lambs "We covet what we see every day" (or something like that). For this and other reasons, such as the robbing of the $75, the chaotic ransacking of Susan's house, and foolishly leaving open the door at both crime scenes, he is potentially reliant on alcohol and/or other drugs. He loves knives, as they make him feel powerful, and will probably carry one at all times or even collect them.* His tastes in pornography will be towards more soft core porn, and will not extend to S&M as it would have resulted in more ritualistic behaviour.
* - I have been given no information as to what kind of knife was used in the killings, so I am uneasy with this prediction.
Appearance: Because of his lack of self discipline and probable dependency on substances, the offender will be notably unkempt, though not necessarily the woolly mammoth. He will wear clothing that is affordable, comfortable and practical, rather than trying to adopt any kind of style.
Residence: Within walking distance of the two crime scenes.
Relationships/family: He will have a negative relationship with his mother. He feels that she does not love him (establishing a base for how he feels about women in general), and he was emotionally neglected by her. I don't think this will extend as far as physical abuse. The father figure in his life will be less influential, but generally absent and a poor role model.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: The UNSUB will have a history of stalking women and window peeping (voyeurism). He may have committed previous rapes and sexual assaults, on strangers and also on younger members of his family. Breaking and entering is possible, but he does not do it for money, he does it for the sense of power he gets from invading a woman's personal space. Therefore, he will not be an accomplished burglar. Somebody possessing these skills would have not left the doors to his victims' homes ajar, because obviously it would draw suspicion.
Though he shows no remorse for his crimes (he is a sexually sadistic psychopath) he panics when he sees what he has done and flees immediately. In short, he spends a lot of time planning and rehearsing his crimes - selecting the right victims, thinking about what he'll do to them, possibly bringing equipment; but once his lust is satiated and a dead woman is before him, he realizes the legal danger he has put himself in, and begins to act erratically. This fear of being caught may extend for days or weeks following the murders, until the fantasies begin to build again. He will not follow his crimes in the news and does not relish nor acknowledge the thought of being a serial killer.
One last thing - the police have not gone into details about the rapes. Sometimes they are referred to as sexual assaults. I think there is a distinct possibility that the offender may have engaged in post or peri-mortem sexual activity with his victims instead of raping them then killing them. They may be withholding this to try and weed out false confessions.
First victim
WHO: Susan O'Hara Tice. A 45-year-old female living alone in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood. She had recently split with her longtime husband, an employee at CIBC Wood Gundy. At the time of the murder, both spouses held separate residences in Toronto. Susan was a kindhearted plain woman with short dark hair. Trained in nursing, she had recently moved on to work with disadvantaged children.
WHAT: According to available sources, Susan was raped, strangled and stabbed multiple times in the chest and lungs.
WHERE: Susan's house on 341 Grace Street, near Harbord. Her body was found in the second floor bedroom.
WHEN: Sometime between Sunday August 14th, 1983, when she was last seen, and the following Wednesday August 17th when her family became concerned and sent a brother-in-law to check on her. A neighbour reported hearing screams late one night, but chose not to investigate.
HOW: There has been no mention of any ligatures or restraints being used to bind the victim. The strangulation seems to have been a mechanism of coercion or a sadistic appetizer to her death by multiple stab wounds. Nor have police hinted that any knives were taken or left at the crime scene. Susan's home had been ransacked and $75 in cash stolen. Perhaps most interestingly, a doorway entering the home was left ajar.
WHY: First let's analyze the second murder attributed to this UNSUB, because there are similarities that begin to form a picture of the offender's psychopathology.
Second victim
WHO: Erin Gilmour. Unlike Susan, Erin was only 22 with long blonde hair. She was notably attractive and came from a wealthy family. At the time of her death, Erin was working at Robin's Knit Shop in Yorkville, and living alone in the two bedroom apartment above. She was dating.
WHAT: As in Susan's case, Erin Gilmour was raped, strangled and repeatedly stabbed.
WHERE: In her apartment above Robin's Knit Shop at 37B Hazelton Avenue in Yorkville, an upscale fashionable district of Toronto. Erin was found on her bed. The distance from the Susan O'Hara Tice crime scene was less than 4 km!
WHEN: Between 8:45-9:20 PM on the cold winter's night of Tuesday December 20, 1983. Erin's boyfriend actually found her within minutes of her murder as the two had arranged a date at 9 PM. Unfortunately he had stopped at a bank machine and arrived too late to save her.
HOW: Almost identical to Susan's murder, except in this incidence the apartment was not ranscaked, nor was anything of monetary value taken. Yet the door was found ajar; Erin was strangled and raped before being stabbed; and again, there was no mention of ligatures or restraints. It is notable that Erin was working at Robin's Knit Shop until 8:45 that evening and had locked up the store and headed into a nearby laneway to enter her apartment, as there was no access from inside the shop.
WHY: Both slayings are classic cases of lust murders where some combination of anger, the need to assert power and sexual release have become inseparably and lethally fused. Unlike more selective offenders such as Ted Bundy and Paul Bernardo who sought out specific traits in their victims, this UNSUB chose two very different types of women because they shared one commonality - they lived alone. They were selected for their 1) sex, 2) vulnerability, and little more (though Erin's striking looks might have caused the UNSUB to focus on her). As in the case of the Parkdale Bludgeoner analyzed in the last blog entry, there is an absence of fetish evident at the crime scenes, showing that though the perpetrator was motivated by sexual desire and the need to control, his fantasy life was not significantly developed. If there is one item that seems to leap out, it is the repetitive stab wounds which might be indicative of overkill or picquerism (sexual arousal through the inflicting of knife wounds). From what little information has been released, I would say this is more a case of the former, as picquerist wounds tend to be clustered and shallower, just breaking the skin. In his Unsolved, Robert Hoshowsky speaks of stab wounds that penetrate the lungs, so we are probably looking at an UNSUB motivated more by boundless rage and a desire to destroy more than torture or fetishism.
Before constructing my profile I would like to tack on my usual ass covering warning: I am working on information provided in a book of unsolved crimes. Therefore if there are key pieces of evidence that have been excluded or that investigators are holding back, this will negatively effect my profile. As the FBI behavioural analyst John Douglas once said "garbage in, garbage out". So assuming that I am working with pretty much all the information there is, I will now construct a psychological and character profile of the Tice-Gilmour serial murderer.
The Tice-Gilmour Murderer
Sex/Gender: The UNSUB is a male, and identifies as such.
Age: The UNSUB was between the ages of 17-25 in 1983. An older offender would have a more developed fantasy life, and would have showed more confidence and control at the crime scenes. I will expand on this in the Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization period
Race/ethnicity: The UNSUB is Caucasian (this includes Hispanic) or black. We do not typically see these sorts of rape-slayings represented in other ethnicities. Despite the FBI's claims that serial killers murder strictly within their own racial group, this has been proven incorrect time and time again (Gary Heidnik, Cleophus Prince Jr, Derek Todd Lee are three examples that spring immediately to mind - yeah, it took 3 seconds).
Occupation/skills/intelligence/socialization: This is not a man who exhibits any kind of self confidence and was probably unemployed at the time of the murders. His IQ will be lower than average and he will appear shy and a little odd - the quiet kid next door who won't make eye contact. He does not believe that women will ever find him attractive, so he harbours constant overwhelming (yet unsophisticated fantasies) of dominating them and using them sexually. He wants to project the pain of rejection he has felt all of his life onto them in the form of physical and emotional pain before destroying them, erasing the superiority they exude over him and offering him psychological relief. He will have no close friends and live a largely solitary existence, roaming the streets aimlessly, but always looking for vulnerable women to destroy. I think there is a distinct possibility that Susan O'Hara-Tice may have known or worked with him as a troubled youth, and this is why he targetted her as his first victim. To quote The Silence of the Lambs "We covet what we see every day" (or something like that). For this and other reasons, such as the robbing of the $75, the chaotic ransacking of Susan's house, and foolishly leaving open the door at both crime scenes, he is potentially reliant on alcohol and/or other drugs. He loves knives, as they make him feel powerful, and will probably carry one at all times or even collect them.* His tastes in pornography will be towards more soft core porn, and will not extend to S&M as it would have resulted in more ritualistic behaviour.
* - I have been given no information as to what kind of knife was used in the killings, so I am uneasy with this prediction.
Appearance: Because of his lack of self discipline and probable dependency on substances, the offender will be notably unkempt, though not necessarily the woolly mammoth. He will wear clothing that is affordable, comfortable and practical, rather than trying to adopt any kind of style.
Residence: Within walking distance of the two crime scenes.
Relationships/family: He will have a negative relationship with his mother. He feels that she does not love him (establishing a base for how he feels about women in general), and he was emotionally neglected by her. I don't think this will extend as far as physical abuse. The father figure in his life will be less influential, but generally absent and a poor role model.
Criminal/Psychiatric History: The UNSUB will have a history of stalking women and window peeping (voyeurism). He may have committed previous rapes and sexual assaults, on strangers and also on younger members of his family. Breaking and entering is possible, but he does not do it for money, he does it for the sense of power he gets from invading a woman's personal space. Therefore, he will not be an accomplished burglar. Somebody possessing these skills would have not left the doors to his victims' homes ajar, because obviously it would draw suspicion.
Though he shows no remorse for his crimes (he is a sexually sadistic psychopath) he panics when he sees what he has done and flees immediately. In short, he spends a lot of time planning and rehearsing his crimes - selecting the right victims, thinking about what he'll do to them, possibly bringing equipment; but once his lust is satiated and a dead woman is before him, he realizes the legal danger he has put himself in, and begins to act erratically. This fear of being caught may extend for days or weeks following the murders, until the fantasies begin to build again. He will not follow his crimes in the news and does not relish nor acknowledge the thought of being a serial killer.
One last thing - the police have not gone into details about the rapes. Sometimes they are referred to as sexual assaults. I think there is a distinct possibility that the offender may have engaged in post or peri-mortem sexual activity with his victims instead of raping them then killing them. They may be withholding this to try and weed out false confessions.
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