Theinvestigation'was one of the mostdifficultin Toronto history'
Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox
Author of the article:
Brad Hunter
Published Apr 18, 2024 • Last updated Apr 18, 2024 • 2 minute read
Two of Toronto’s most infamous murders are getting the Dateline treatment on Friday night.
Advertisem*nt 2
Story continues below
This advertisem*nt has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Don't have an account? Create Account
or
View more offers
Article content
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Susan Tice-Erin Gilmour cold case murders getting Dateline treatment Back to video
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Over four terrifying months in 1983, two single women were brutally sexually assaulted and murdered. The victims lived just blocks apart.
And then the killings simply stopped.
The sex slayings of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour would vex generations of Toronto Police homicide detectives. Despite Herculean efforts and baby steps to resolution, the murders would take four decades to close.
Tice was 45 at the time and a mother of four, and Gilmour was just 22 when her little brothers’ childhoods were obliterated forever.
Using DNA, detectives determined in 2010 what they had suspected for years: The two murders were committed by the same monster.
Toronto Police cold case Det. Andrew Doyle — featured on the Dateline episode — described the killer as a “ghost.”
Your Midday Sun
Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
Advertisem*nt 3
Story continues below
This advertisem*nt has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“The separate murders of two women in Toronto ignite an investigation that spans four decades, taking detectives from the big city to a remote, northern town,” Dateline says in a promo.
“The case is finally cracked when diligent, old-fashioned detective work is combined with modern breakthroughs in genetic genealogy.”
The two-hour episode features ace TPS cold case detectives, the unit’s leader Det. Sgt. Steve Smith, and Doyle, along with family members and friends of the two victims.
DNA science was evolving and after the arrest of the Golden State Killer through genetic genealogy, TPS homicide detectives began zeroing in on their man.
In 2022 they got a hit linking DNA found at the crime scene to a family in Northern Ontario. After eliminating the suspect’s brothers, Joseph George Sutherland, a 62-year-old IT pro, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Advertisem*nt 4
Story continues below
This advertisem*nt has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder last October.
On March 22, the Moosonee man was sentenced to life in jail with no chance of parole for 21 years. He will be in his 80s if he’s ever allowed to emerge from the perpetual darkness that is prison.
Smith told the Toronto Sun that if it hadn’t been for genetic genealogy, it’s almost certain the case would have remained cold forever.
“It was like finding a needle in a haystack, this guy was never on our radar,” he said, adding that theinvestigation“was one of the mostdifficultin Toronto history.”
He added: “I’m so happy for the families. For 40 years they’ve been waiting for this. This is one of the hardest cases on a personal level, most of the people affected by this were children, kids … their childhoods were taken away from them by Sutherland’s horrific actions.”
Dateline’s Evil Walked Through the Door airs April 19 at 9 p.m. ET.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Create an AccountSign in
Join the Conversation
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.
Trending
- 'Entitled BMW driver' criticized for illegal move to avoid Highway 401 traffic
- SUNshine Girl Elisa
- Blue Jays salvage a truly miserable day with a gutsy win in San Francisco
- DEAR ABBY: Mystery of missing undies leaves hostess embarrassed
- Mick Jagger booed after Stones singer says he 'loves' Justin Trudeau
Read Next
Latest National Stories
This Week in Flyers