Stories of Murder in Toronto's Gay Village
Lee Scoboni 
Akim Fleming and his partner Rajiv Ralph were murdered on February 27, 2024 near their 111 Hickory Tree Road home. Both men were shot in the early morning hours. A black SUV, or possibly 2 vehicles, were seen fleeing the scene. The two men were shot at around 4:40 a.m. just 500 metres from their … Read more
The cold case murder of Kevin McBride was considered solved by Toronto Police after they used DNA to identify the killer. He was William Taylor. Read more about Kevin here.
Peter Elie, hard-working Toronto DJ/VJ who worked under the name Blue Peter. He was found dead after a fire in the laundry room of his midtown Toronto apartment building. He lived at 155 Balliol Street. He had been murdered, and the killer attempted to cover up the crime with a fire. Elie, 52, had been … Read more
Police have used DNA to determine who killed school trustee Dennis Colby. Read more here.
There is a memorial tonight for Skanda Navaratnam, allegedly one of serial killer Bruce McArthur’s victims. To be held 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the 519 Church Street Community Centre, this memorial is in support of Skanda’s family.
On February 5, 2018, police announced the arrest of 21-year-old Kalen Schlatter. He was charged with second-degree murder in relation to the death of Tess Richey. A trial is pending. Just before police made the announcement, a member of the Richey family explained that they were told that postering efforts weren’t required because, apparently, Schlatter … Read more
Today when I was out and about in The Village, I saw someone who made me think “Is that the murder suspect in the Tess Richey case? I could not find any flyers that showed the guy’s picture. Why is there none out there that I could see? Isn’t it the police’s job to plaster … Read more
Andrew Kinsman, 49, disappeared from the area of Parliament and Winchester Streets , just outside the Toronto Gay Village, on June 26, 2017. He disappeared just 10 weeks after Selim Esen, triggering fear of a serial killer operating in the Village. During a press conference, friend Ted Healey said “I’ve never known Andrew to just … Read more
Dean Lisowick had a tough life. Struggling with homelessness and drug addiction, the 47-year-old would rely on panhandling, digging through garbage to find booze bottles to return for cash, and prostitution. Sometimes the local bars would hire him to clean floors or stock shelves. He would stay in shelters around the downtown core, and sometimes … Read more
On December 15, 2015, Dr. Mark Ernsting went for his regular nightly walk. It would be his last. Ernsting, 39, was a well-respected cancer researcher who lived with is husband Robert Iseman on Carlton Street in downtown Toronto. His walk would take him around the nearby Ryerson University campus, where he was also an adjunct … Read more
Soroush Mahmudi, 50, was married to a woman and lived in the suburb of Scarborough with his stepson. When he went missing in August 2015, his wife never imagined it would take two years before she would learn a horrible truth. Described by his wife as a great guy with a good heart, Mahmudi, originally … Read more
Majeed “Hamid” Kayhan, Abdulbasir Faizi and Skandaraj “Skanda” Navaratnam were all targets of Project Houston, a task force set up in November 2012 to investigate their disappearances. Kayhan and Navaratnam were also alleged targets of gay Toronto alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. Project Houston did not find any evidence that the men were murdered, and … Read more
Zipperz was a bar at the edge of the Gay Village, operating for 16 years at the corner of Carlton and Church Streets. Known for its piano players and retro dance feel, it attracted an older crowd. That’s where police believe Skandaraj “Skanda” Navaratnam, 40, met his killer. Navaratnam was last seen in the early … Read more
When he did not show up for work, police were called to the home of prominent psychiatrist and former medical director of the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, Dr. Henry Durost, on January 6, 2004. Inside the apartment at 7 Jackes Avenue they found Durost, 78, dead. Durost died of strangulation, and suffered broken ribs, … Read more
David Buller was murdered at his desk at the University of Toronto’s Visual Studies department at 1 Spadina Crescent. On January 18, 2001, he was stabbed repeatedly and died in his office, to be found by a caretaker the next day. Det. Sgt. Ken Taylor said that despite Buller, 50, having been stabbed repeatedly in … Read more