Identified! Canada - Tofield, AB, 'Septic Tank Sam' Ntv/WhtMale 1046UMAB, Apr'77 - Gordon Edwin Sanderson

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So very happy to hear this news. Sam's case has been one of the cases that has always haunted me and weighed on my heart due to the horrific torture and indignity. I have always suspected more than one perp, possible gang involvement (not necessarily on Sam's part but possibly due to some perceived offence against someone else).

Only 44/45 years ago, IMO the killer could still be alive, possibly in their mid 70s. IDd through genealogy means Sam has rellies. Hopefully they may be able to fill in some blanks.

A very special Thanks to the LEOs who never gave up on giving this man his name back.
 
from the CBC article linked upthread:

"How [are] you going to punish the guy now anyway?" Lammerts said. "You going to send an 82-year-old guy to jail now? What do you do with an 82-year-old man that killed somebody 50 years ago?"

Um ... you find them, put them on trial, put them in prison, and let them die there is what you do.

It's called Justice !!
 
This poor victim was likely beaten, cut with a knife, burned with fire and shot in the head, then dumped with lime. Any of this could’ve resulted in death. It was overkill.

That’s the basis of why I think a pack of rabid local young men, probably fuelled by alcohol, were involved, each one attempting to show the others up by using a different method of ruthlessness and cruelty.

I grew up in a small rural town in the 70s in Alberta as well and that’s one of the reasons I can imagine a group of bullies was involved. It seemed every town had a pack of one or two at the time. If so, would any of them ever talk? I doubt it, their loyalty is to each other and if they were still alive even into their 50s, they were fortunate. JMO
 
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MistyWaters said:
As his identity is known, I’d imagine the RCMP have already talked to every known person he was connected with. Knowing his name, considering it isn’t yet public, they had that piece information on their side.

Why didn’t anyone ever report him missing? Would old tax records indicate his employment, a driver’s licence, vehicle registration or other records might lead to his place of residence?
Click to expand...

What "tax records" would these be? Do you mean employment records?!
 
Sillybilly said:
from the CBC article linked upthread:

"How [are] you going to punish the guy now anyway?" Lammerts said. "You going to send an 82-year-old guy to jail now? What do you do with an 82-year-old man that killed somebody 50 years ago?"

Um ... you find them, put them on trial, put them in prison, and let them die there is what you do.

It's called Justice !!
Click to expand...

Sure sounds like that cop knows who did it, eh?
 
Blurgle said:
What "tax records" would these be? Do you mean employment records?!
Click to expand...

Annual Canadian Federal tax records. We all pay it here and the executer of the estate, when someone passes, has to file a final federal tax return and a copy of the death certificate for the year in which the death occured.

I think, IMO, the poster is implying that this may good source for identification - narrowing the field. Our T4s are issued by employers.

It's a centralized Federal Database - I wonder if they could run a search of records to see "who suddenly stopped paying their annual taxes and never had an executor file a final deceased return" and generate a list. Kind of like who "suddenly fell off the face of the (earth) tax records" and their Federal tax file was never closed (with a copy of their death certificate) by the executor. That final Federal return with death certificate is used to cease (mandatory) payments into or payments from old age pension (CPP) etc and other federal benefits that we have here.

Could those results be a tip-off of "who" some of our unidentified remains are?
 
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Blurgle said:
Sure sounds like that cop knows who did it, eh?
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Not really IMO. I think it's his way of slagging our Canadian Justice system ... where sentences are notoriously short - even for crimes like murder and seemingly shorter still for elderly convicted of crimes. But first, you actually have to sit a jury willing to convict them at a ripe old age. His Canadian pessimism with the justice system is showing.
 
Vern said:
Not really IMO. I think it's his way of slagging our Canadian Justice system ... where sentences are notoriously short - even for crimes like murder and seemingly shorter still for elderly convicted of crimes. But first, you actually have to sit a jury willing to convict them at a ripe old age. His Canadian pessimism with the justice system is showing.
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Yeah I kind of read it this way too. My interpretation of it is that he thinks that if the killer is still alive, they still would have essentially gotten away with it for 44 years. Is it really a punishment at this point?

Not my view, just trying to interpret the comment.

It does seem to me like a personal crime.
 
Vern said:
Not really IMO. I think it's his way of slagging our Canadian Justice system ... where sentences are notoriously short - even for crimes like murder and seemingly shorter still for elderly convicted of crimes. But first, you actually have to sit a jury willing to convict them at a ripe old age. His Canadian pessimism with the justice system is showing.
Click to expand...

That was my impression as well. The tone seems cynical. Everyone in Canada, most certainly police, are aware our Justice System is based on rehabilitation (opposite of punishment) and the premise that a period of incarceration will motivate even the lowest of low into becoming a good, productive member of society, unlikely to reoffend. An 82 year old, possibly with chronic health issues, would not be considered high-risk to reoffend if his most recent crime occurred 44 years ago.
 
ntt1 said:
Yeah I kind of read it this way too. My interpretation of it is that he thinks that if the killer is still alive, they still would have essentially gotten away with it for 44 years. Is it really a punishment at this point?

Not my view, just trying to interpret the comment.

It does seem to me like a personal crime.
Click to expand...

I agree! The extension of the injuries inflicted to Sam Doe were, in my opinion, fueled by rage and anger, i hope that tomorrow's press conference clears up some of these questions.
 
I completely disagree with the notion that you can't seek justice because of a perpetrator's age. Here in the UK we just arrested and charged an 88 year old man for the murder of his wife in 1982. As long as the killer is competent to stand trial (doesn't have dementia etc) then I don't see why they shouldn't be arrested.
 
I'm fairly certain my entire street could hear me shout "no way!" when I read the news yesterday :oops:

This is one of those cases I thought would never be solved. It always seemed like either a hate crime or a revenge killing to me. Interested to find out who he really was, and desperately hoping his killer(s) has/have been found too.
 
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