Stories of Murder in Toronto's Gay Village
Early on the morning of Sunday, August 27, 1978, in an apartment on St. Joseph Street, a man who had fallen asleep woke to find his room-mate unconscious and bleeding from a head injury. The injured man was Colin Nicholson, 41. That was how the Toronto Star told it after he died. The evening had … Read more
On Thursday, December 15, 1977, Neil Wilkinson’s employer called Metro Toronto police. He worked the midnight-to-8 a.m. shift at the Royal Bank, and he had not been to work for four days. Calls to his home had gone unanswered. Police went to his second-floor apartment on Charles St. E., near Church St. They found him … Read more
Just after midnight on Thursday, May 5, 1977, three youths attacked a man in Allan Gardens. They beat him and kicked him in the head. When people came toward them to help, the three ran. The man’s wallet was left on the ground beside him. At about 12:15 a.m., police were called to the area … Read more
At about 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, January 25, 1977, Toronto police answered a call to check an address at 141 Erskine Avenue. A young bank employee had not come to work, and the apartment superintendent had been asked to look in on him. Police found Brian Latocki dead in his bedroom. He was nude and … Read more
At 3:43 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 1975, Toronto police headquarters took an emergency call. The caller, a man, would not give his name. He said there was “trouble” at 286 Borden St., near Bloor Street West. Police later traced the call to a phone booth about a mile away. A squad car went to … Read more
Early on Saturday, January 9, 1965, two youths walked into a service station at Jane Street and Wilson Avenue in North York. They told the night attendant, “We just threw a man into the creek.” The attendant wasn’t sure whether to believe them. They walked off. He called police only after a body had been … Read more
On Wednesday, July 17, 1963, a black convertible carrying two youths went through a police speed trap on Lake Shore Boulevard West. Constable Grenville Dawkins chased it through Long Branch. He later testified that he was suspicious of the car. The driver turned onto a side street, pulled the keys from the ignition and ran. … Read more
At about 10:45 on the morning of Friday, October 30, 1953, Robert Cowan was driving his tractor along the 10th Concession of Innisfil Township, toward the village of Stroud. He saw a coat in the ditch. “I stopped to have a closer look, saw the legs and recognized the body of a man,” he told … Read more
At about two in the morning on Wednesday, July 27, 1949, three visitors from Montreal were walking along the boardwalk at Kew Beach, looking for shelter for the night. Ralph Cragg was with Marion Nelson and her brother Herbert. They came upon a man lying motionless by the boardwalk. A young man stepped out of … Read more