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
A day after Toronto’s Pride festivities in June 2017, Andrew Kinsman, 49, dropped out of sight, the New York Times reported. He missed his volunteer shift at a food bank. His cat went unfed. Police said he was last seen on Monday, June 26, near Parliament and Winchester streets in Cabbagetown, an area that borders … 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.
At a news conference on Thursday, January 18, 2018, Homicide Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga of the Toronto police announced that a man had been arrested that morning and charged with first-degree murder. He was Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old self-employed landscaper from Thorncliffe Park. The two men named in the charges were Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman. … Read more
On Monday, January 29, 2018, Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga told reporters that Toronto police had laid three more counts of first-degree murder against Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper. The new charges named Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi and Dean Lisowick. McArthur was already charged in the deaths of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen. “What kind of case … Read more
On the night of Tuesday, December 15, 2015, Donna Maloney was wrapping Christmas presents at her home on McGill Street in downtown Toronto. She heard screams, the Crown told a jury in May 2018. She went to her door. She saw a man standing over another man and stabbing him. “What are you doing?” Maloney … Read more
On Monday, March 5, 2018, Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga of the Toronto police homicide squad displayed a photograph of a dead man at a press conference. Police believed he was another victim of Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper charged with first-degree murder in six deaths. They did not know his name. Idsinga said investigators had used … Read more
Early on a Saturday morning in August 2015, Soroush Mahmudi woke before his stepson and left him breakfast. Then he went out the door. His wife, Fareena Marezook, told the Toronto Star that he did not come home that day. The Star reported that police now believe that was the day he was killed. He … Read more
At about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015, a resident of 330 Jarvis Street received a visit from a friend who had disturbing news. There was a pool of blood in the elevator. The resident told CBC News he called building security. Toronto police took a call at 6:34 p.m., the Toronto Star reported. … Read more
In October 2012, a man walking down a street saw a poster of Majeed Kayhan on a telephone pole. “Missing,” he told W5 in 2018. W5 identified him only as Chris and hid his face. Chris said he and Kayhan had gone on a few dates and then settled into friendship. Kayhan was 58. According … Read more