10 Unsolved Murders In Canada

Canadian Serial Killers That Are STILL ACTIVE

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining our picks for the 10 Canadian Serial Killers That Are STILL ACTIVE.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notorious unsolved slayings in Canada, with the people responsible still out there somewhere.

Who’s the evilest convicted serial killer ever? Let us know below.

The Htoo-Maw Family Murders

In 2008, Gray Nay Htoo and Maw Maw left a refugee camp in Thailand and relocated to Regina, Saskatchewan, to start a new life. The couple from the ethnolinguistic group Karen soon settled in and had a son, Seven June Htoo. But in August 2010, the bodies of the family were found in their home, tragically slain. With an officer fluent in the Karen and Burmese languages, the police conducted around 250 interviews in the first year of the investigation alone. Neighbors spoke about the couple triple locking their doors and seeing suspicious people around. However, the police haven’t found the culprit. By 2015, it was officially designated a “cold case.” A reward of $50,000 was issued for information leading to a conviction.

The Vanishing Prospectors

In June 1967, a friend went to a camp in Lower Foster Lake, Saskatchewan, which housed Métis leader James Brady and Absolom Halkett, to resupply them. The two regularly went prospecting together. However, when the friend arrived, the camp was deserted, and the duo was missing. The local community immediately began searching for Brady and Halkett. However, they were never seen again. The search was officially called off the following month. While some believe the two were attacked by wildlife, people that knew the duo dispute this since they were experienced in the wilderness. Also, the fact their remains and equipment weren’t discovered is strange. Some speculate that Brady’s activism might have upset someone who took extreme measures.

Barbara Maclean & Melissa Rehorek

In February 1977, the body of Barbara MacLean was discovered in Calgary, Alberta. The night before, she was at a bar when she got into an argument with her boyfriend. Left in the parking lot alone, MacLean decided to hitchhike to a party. Tragically, this led to her demise. Quickly, the police connected this crime with the slaying of Melissa Rehorek in September 1976. She had left her residence and was last seen near McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, where it’s believed she hitchhiked. Rehorek's body and all her belongings were found in Cochrane, Alberta. Gary McAstocker was a suspect in both cases. However, in 1994, he took his own life when the cops wanted to question him about a different slaying.

The Horror at Toronto Hospital

In March 1981, something dark was going on at the cardiac ward at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. The fatality rate had risen by 625%. Even those that were on the road to recovery suddenly perished. During tests, the victims had dangerous levels of digoxin in their system, a heart medicine. However, the testing methods have been questioned. The police charged nurse Susan Nelles with four of the killings. Yet during the hearing, the judge threw the case out on a lack of evidence towards Nelles and that it pointed at someone else being responsible. During an inquiry, it was discovered that nurse Phyllis Trayner was present at 29 suspicious fatalities. But she was never charged and has since passed away.

The Forest City Killer

London, Ontario, has been a hotbed of killings. Between 1959 to 1984, 29 took place in the area nicknamed the Forest City. And 16 of those have been left unsolved. Yet eight of them are theorized to be down to one individual. In October 1969, Jackie English left her part-time job at a restaurant after her shift. During her journey home, she was seen getting into a car near a bridge. She then disappeared. Five days later, her body was discovered around 43 miles away in Big Otter Creek. This made English the eighth girl slain in London in the last two years. Decades on, English’s family are still looking for answers.

Louie Sam & James Bell

In 2006, the U.S. state of Washington apologized for the shocking events that took place in 1884. Back then, 58-year-old James Bell was a shopkeeper in the state who was fatally assassinated in his home, which was then set ablaze. A local pointed the finger at Louie Sam, who was a part of the Stó꞉lō community in British Columbia. As the US authorities departed to arrest Sam, people from around Bell’s area took matters into their own hands. They crossed into Canada and lynched him before a trial even took place. It’s believed that two white Americans had slain Bell, then encouraged the mob to take out the innocent Sam.

The Babes in the Woods

In 1953, a groundskeeper at Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, came across a grizzly scene. They found the remains of two children hidden in the woodlands and covered by a woman’s coat. A hatchet was found nearby. But for decades, the identity of the children and the person responsible has been unknown. But eventually, we got some answers. In February 2022, DNA technology was used to determine who the victims were. They were discovered to be brothers, David and Derek D'Alton, and were slain around 1947. The police believe that their mother was the perpetrator. But since she passed over 25 years ago, we’ll probably never know for sure.

The Hemlock Valley Murders

In the space of two months in 1995, the bodies of three women were found in remote areas around Fraser Valley near Vancouver, British Columbia. Each of the victims, Tammy Pipe, Tracy Olajide, and Victoria Younker, had several connections. They were each sex workers, had a substance problem, and lived in the same area. Convicted serial killer and infamous pig farmer Robert Pickton was linked to the case. However, DNA analysis later ruled him out. In 2010, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a public appeal for more information on the mystery. They announced they believed a serial killer was responsible. However, they suspected the perpetrator was either in prison or had since passed away.

The Mystery Serial Killer of Alberta

Since 1990, a mysterious serial killer has evidently been using the area around Calgary, Alberta, as their hunting ground, mostly targeting sex workers. The spree began with 17-year-old Joanne Shaver and seemingly ended in 1993 with 20-year-old Rebecca Boutilier. There are said to be around 7 victims. However, some believe the person responsible moved on to Edmonton, committing at least 12 further slayings against similar women. Even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated in 2004 that one person might be responsible for the Edmonton slayings. In 2003, the RCMP created Project Kare specifically to examine cases involving people from high-risk lifestyles. In 2005, the unit began to explore links between the Calgary and Edmonton cases. But the mystery sadly continues.

The Highway of Tears

Stretched between the cities of Prince Rupert and Prince George in British Columbia is a 450-mile-long road known as the Highway of Tears that has been the hunting ground for a spree of killings. And the target is often indigenous women. The actual number of victims is disputed. The RCMP created Project E-PANA in 2005 and selected 18 cases to examine. However, others believe the true number is closer to 50. Over time, some of the cases have been attributed to certain people, such as Cody Legebokoff, who was convicted of 4 slayings in 2014. While convicted American offender Bobby Jack Fowler had his DNA linked to 3 cases. However, he passed away in 2006. But this still leaves many victims without justice.