Police in Toronto say they’ve linked three decades-old murders and have identified the alleged serial killer as a man with a history of sexual assault who died in Windsor six years ago.
Toronto police said they had connected the deaths of three women, which occurred between 1982 and 1997 across the city and involved three people who did not know one another.
The first death reported was 25-year-old Christine Prince, who was last seen in June 1982 on a St. Clair streetcar. She was a nanny from Wales working in Toronto, and her body was found the day after she disappeared.
Police said she was sexually assaulted, struck on the head and eventually died by drowning.
More than a year later, another woman disappeared. In September 1983, 23-year-old Claire Samson was discovered dead on private land in Oro-Medonte Township after being shot twice. She had last been seen in Toronto.
It was years later, in 1997, when 41-year-old Gracelyn Greenidge was found dead in her Driftwood Avenue apartment. She was originally from Barbados and had failed to show up to her job as a nurse.
Toronto police said they collected DNA at each of the three murder scenes but were never able to identify a suspect.
Some of that DNA was uploaded to a database in 2016 and matched to an unknown male profile. By 2022, a joint investigation had identified familiar relatives of the alleged offender.
Police said that, on Dec. 3 of this year, they were able to “conclusively” identify Kenneth Smith as the offender in all three murders. He died in 2019 at the age of 72 and was never charged with the deaths.
Toronto police said Smith “meets the criteria to be called a serial killer.”
At the time of the murders, however, he was known to police and had a history of sexual assault. Toronto police said they now believe he may have additional victims and are asking anyone who has information to come forward.
“Although the accused is deceased, the investigation does not end,” OPP Chief Supt. Karen Gonneau said.
“This case stands as a powerful reminder that while time may pass, our commitment to victims and their families does not fade. We will continue to pursue the truth, no matter how long it takes, because no victim will be forgotten and every family deserves answers.”