Stories of Murder in Toronto's Gay Village
Murder that occurred in Toronto, or of Torontonians
Auctioneer Chadwick Francis, 37, was murdered in his home in the Greenwood and Mortimer Avenues. On August 6, 2020, police were called to his home, where they found his body. He may have been dead for several days, and although police are calling it a homicide, they are not yet releasing the cause of death. … Read more
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
Julie Berman was an internationally known trans rights activist living in Toronto. Fifty-one-year-old Berman was found in her Brunswick Avenue and Harbord Street area home on Sunday, December 22, 2019. Police had been called to the scene, where they found her suffering from “significant” face and head injuries. She was pronounced dead in hospital. Berman … Read more
Jeffrey Parker was known among friends as Jay Tripper. He was a “creative gun/illustrator/graphic designer/activist bringing back colourful psychedelic vibes from the sixties and beyond!” Tripper ran a graphic design and events business called Field Trip Designs & Psymbiotiq. Friend Tim Ellis said “He was building a space for people to come together and have … Read more
On June 15, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that protecting the rights of LGBT+ university students from discrimination is more important than the religious freedom to discriminate against them.
Tess Richey, 22, was out celebrating on November 24, 2017, with friend Ryley Simard at Crews & Tangos, a Gay Village drag bar, although Richey is not LGBTQ+. They left the bar at approximately 1:30am, heading north toward Dundonald Street where they hung out with a friend of Richey’s on her front porch. With them … 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
On June 19, 2017, Bill C-16 received Royal Assent (became law). Bill C-16 amended the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, to protect gender identity and expression.
On April 14, 2017, Selim Esen, 44, disappeared in the area of Bloor St. East and Ted Rogers Way, on the outskirts of the Toronto Gay Village. His disappearance would be tied 10 weeks later to that of Andrew Kinsman. Selim Esen, who arrived from Turkey just a few years before his murder. Police said … 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
Toronto police had a photograph of a dead man’s face, and parts of his body, before they had his name. Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, who is already facing seven counts of first-degree murder, is rumoured to have taken photographs of his victims in various poses up to and including the “death pose”. Parts of … 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
Brent Gartner, 51, was longtime friends with Roderick McIntosh, 67, and had even loaned him money. On January 10, 2015, McIntosh went to Gartner’s home to get his money. He would kill Gartner. The killer told his roommate he was going to Gartner’s apartment to pick up a little over $200. McIntosh asked his roommate … 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