CANADA Canada - Unsolved murders of young people in London, Ont, 1960s-70s

[Snoopster]

This all seems so questionable. I understand that families wouldn't want the murder of their loved ones to become fodder for media invasions, but to imply that the crimes were solved and the books closed, without sharing the reasons could legitimately be seen as nefarious.

@Snoopster, is there anything more that you can add to make me confident that justice was done?

No, I can't. That doesn't mean that the general public shouldn't still seek answers. I agree that they deserve to know that law enforcement will pursue cases with diligence. It's just that sometimes justice doesn't arrive in time. And sometimes politics defer justice.
And, most importantly, sometimes the victims' families are satisfied that they know what happened and that they've suffered enough after an incredibly long haul. I stand with the families. They are the victims.

 

[RobertBurns]

Reading excepts from this book and keeping an eye open for if/when, DB moved to Scotland.

Ive tried to recover the information about DB moving to Scotland but can’t find it anywhere ....... for some reason . Perplexing to think if true how easily someone can disappear without a trace and no checks done . Out of sight out of mind .

 

[RobertBurns]

No idea why it double posted

 

[Cherchri]

I’m looking for some information that you can maybe help me with . On watching “To Catch a Killer” I was intrigued by the similar MO’s of the various slayings around the time of the Georgia Jackson killing . David Bodemer was convicted of the death of Georgia in 1972 . I’m sure I found a piece on Bodemer that revealed after his release in 1982 he immigrated to Scotland and changed his name . Can anyone confirm this as the case please ? Out of curiosity I checked all the unsolved murders since 1982 in the UK that fit the same pattern and have found 7 that could be similar ....... with 1 nearly exactly the same description as some of the murders detailed in London Ontario in the 60s early 70s

To my knowledge he is living in Kitchener and still working as a long-haul trucker. There is a telephone listing for him there. Can you possibly recover the piece you read regarding his immigration to Scotland? I have researched him quite thoroughly and have never found mention of that. I wonder how it would be possible to emigrate with that conviction?

 

[Cherchri]

OK I just found that reference to DB having moved to Scotland - that was a comment on a thread by someone who had just watched To Catch A killer. Pretty sure he/she got their facts mixed up. It's very doubtful he left Ontario.

 

[musicaljoke]

OK I just found that reference to DB having moved to Scotland - that was a comment on a thread by someone who had just watched To Catch A killer. Pretty sure he/she got their facts mixed up. It's very doubtful he left Ontario.

Would it be Scotland, Ontario? The town is half way between Hamilton and London, and south of Kitchener.

 

[dotr]

Would it be Scotland, Ontario? The town is half way between Hamilton and London, and south of Kitchener.

That is an interesting thought, never heard of the place until now!
Ontario Rural Routes - scotland

 

[Snoopster]

Would it be Scotland, Ontario? The town is half way between Hamilton and London, and south of Kitchener.

I'd go with this!

 

[Snoopster]

Here's an article in the Guardian....across the pond yet talking about the murders in little old London Ontario...
What turned one city in Canada into the 'serial killer capital' of the world?

Known as the Forest City, the town is the birthplace of Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. And between 1959 and 1984, it was home to the largest known concentration of serial killers in the world.

Over the course of 25 years, the town was shaken by 29 gruesome murders. Thirteen of those murders were attributed to three killers who were eventually caught and convicted: Gerald Thomas Archer, known as the London Chamber Maid Slayer, Christian McGee, known as the Mad Slasher, and Russell Johnson, known as the Balcony Killer.

Sixteen of the murders have remained unsolved, but a new book based on recovered police files offers a new theory on this bloody chapter in the town’s history, unmasking two alleged serial killers in the process.

I remember looking into Russell Johnson a number of years ago. Someone had posted a robust Wikipedia page about the serial killer. And then the page went "poof"! I wondered what happened, but presumed that Johnson had sued someone for calling him a serial killer, when technically he was never convicted. Instead he was found criminally insane. He is still alive today (as is Christian McGee, as far as I know). Scary guy. And, there is a modest Wikipedia page about him.

 

[Cherchri]

Would it be Scotland, Ontario? The town is half way between Hamilton and London, and south of Kitchener.

How awesome - I had no idea there is a Scotland in Ontario. However, I sat through the whole episode of To Catch A Killer again over the weekend and the guy who moved to Scotland (UK) was a POI for the detective on the show one of two POI's and proved not to be a viable suspect. So, as I suspected, the commenter on the YouTube thread where this was speculated by Knotty1966 (not on Websleuths) was quite confused. That reference can be found in comments via this link:

 

[juli99]

I need to read this book! London is my hometown and I don't live far from there now.

 

[Bravo]

I highly recommend this book. Well written. Although I am only 1/3 of the way thru it's hard to put down. Once I read it I want to go thru again and make some notes. There is a lot of info to absorb. I spent a lot of time in the area when young having many Family in London and surrounding area. Strange to read of places you know and have remembered yet I was quite young when this took place.

 

[Bravo]

I was speaking to a colleague/friend yesterday as I knew she lived in London during this time period. She remembers the Dunleavy murder. She also said she remembered a girl that lived around the corner from them who was murdered but could not recall her name. She went to school with her older Sister. I told her once I have a complete list of names I'll see if any jog her memory. She was young also when this took place.

 

[Bravo]

There is also a Paris Ontario lol

 

[Bravo]

Have u read the book dotr?

 

[dotr]

Have u read the book dotr?

Not yet, but thinking it may be wrapped and hidden in a closet somewhere, in which case i will be reading it soon!

 

[Bravo]

Not yet, but thinking it may be wrapped and hidden in a closet somewhere, in which case i will be reading it soon!

LOL I hope so. I look forward to your thoughts. I wont get to too much more of it until after the holidays. I really dont want to get too much further as I mentioned prior until I can make some notes. There is a lot of detailed info. Merry Christmas dotr and Happy New Year.

 

[dotr]

LOL I hope so. I look forward to your thoughts. I wont get to too much more of it until after the holidays. I really dont want to get too much further as I mentioned prior until I can make some notes. There is a lot of detailed info. Merry Christmas dotr and Happy New Year.

Thanks, wishing the same for you and all the good folks here!

 

[puppyraiser]

LE just "solved" a murder dating back to 1971 of a young Windsor girl, Ljubica Topic . They won't name the person responsible as he "died a couple years ago". I wonder if he was looked at for any of the London area murders? Windsor ON to London On is less than a 2 hr drive on the 401

'It brings resolution': Windsor police solve decades-old murder of 6-year-old girl

From the article-
"...
Authorities said Topic's killer cannot be identified. He would have been 70 years old.

“This man is recently deceased and we will not be able to release his name publicly as he will never be formally charged.”

He was a Windsor resident who lived in the neighbourhood where Topic was taken from. He was not known to the family. The man spent time in Windsor and ultimately settled in “the Western provinces.”

 

[dotr]

LE just "solved" a murder dating back to 1971 of a young Windsor girl, Ljubica Topic . They won't name the person responsible as he "died a couple years ago". I wonder if he was looked at for any of the London area murders? Windsor ON to London On is less than a 2 hr drive on the 401

'It brings resolution': Windsor police solve decades-old murder of 6-year-old girl

From the article-
"...
Authorities said Topic's killer cannot be identified. He would have been 70 years old.

“This man is recently deceased and we will not be able to release his name publicly as he will never be formally charged.”

He was a Windsor resident who lived in the neighbourhood where Topic was taken from. He was not known to the family. The man spent time in Windsor and ultimately settled in “the Western provinces.”

Posted a Parabon composite of the perp on LT's thread.
CANADA - Canada - Ljubica Topic, 6, Windsor, Ont, 14 May 1971