Unsolved Murders in British Columbia

[Desespere]

I've looked through my database for cars and I've posted the cars I have in the database. For each name in my database I have a lot of text in documents for each state and province. I have to search through the documents because I didn't always enter, but I know I've read a lot about red sports cars missing with the victim, or seen in the area, a red Fiero for example. I should have included these things in the database but i was keeping it short, then I realized there were a lot of cases and started adding more info. I'll do my best to find the cars in the documents quickly.

I'll look at eastern states first.

[BCBev]

Okay, so I've got a lot of catching up to do here but bear with me...

In regards to Susan Duff's case the RCMP did charge her stepfather's brother with her death some ten years after the fact.  He was held in custody for 7 days then the charges were stayed.  It seems the RCMP did not confer with Crown Counsel before laying them.  CC didn't feel the evidence would support the charges.  As near as I can tell, this is the last mention of her case in the media.  HOWEVER: The suspect in this case passed away from natural causes March 21, 2007.  Nothing further I can find on the assaults.

Proceedings stayed in girl's slaying
RCMP charged man without consulting Crown prosecutors

Darah Hansen
Vancouver Sun; with files from Canadian Press
Saturday, April 23, 2005

PENTICTON - The Crown stayed proceedings Friday against a 68-year-old man police had charged with killing his brother's stepdaughter in Penticton almost 26 years ago.

Regional Crown prosecutor Brad Chapman announced the stay of the first-degree murder charge against Ernest Gardiner during what was supposed to have been a bail hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in Penticton.

Gardiner was not in court, but was represented by his lawyer, Oliver Butterfield. The killing of 12-year-old Susan Duff attracted province-wide headlines when she went missing in 1979.

Chapman said the RCMP had the charge sworn against Gardiner April 15 without consulting the prosecutor's office -- contrary to normal procedure in British Columbia. After reviewing the case, Chapman's office concluded the RCMP did not have enough evidence to support the murder charge.

Outside court, Chapman said it is not unusual for the police to lay a charge without going to the Crown.

"There's certainly circumstances where the police are involved in an investigation, where they have a body of knowledge and an understanding of their investigation that gives them a good idea as to the strength of their case," he said.

Butterfield disagreed, calling the police decision to circumvent normal charge-approval protocol in B.C. "very unusual" -- particularly when, according to the lawyer, police knew the Crown would not prosecute the case on the basis of the evidence then available.

Chapman defended the way the police handled the case.

"The police conducted themselves in this investigation impeccably," he said.

Butterfield said the reason police decided to lay the charge "was to facilitate their own investigation."

"They were hoping to get either a confession or some other evidence from [Gardiner] when he was detained in custody," Butterfield said.

Gardiner spent seven days behind bars charged with the first-degree murder of Duff. During that time, Butterfield said, his client was subject to "intense" interrogation by police and had undercover agents placed in his prison cell in order to collect new evidence in the cold case.
Speaking to media outside RCMP E Division headquarters in Vancouver Friday, Sgt. John Ward defended the actions of Penticton investigators.

"Our members were acting with all the right intentions," Ward said.

He said the matter remains under active investigation and Friday's stay of proceedings has done nothing to hurt the case. "We've lost nothing here," he said.

Six charges of sexual assault remain outstanding against Gardiner. The charges date between 1973 and 1979 and allegedly involve girls between the ages of five years and the mid-teens.
Stan Lowe, spokesman for the provincial Crown, said his office has yet to review those charges, which were sworn April 15, again without prior approval by Crown counsel, the same day police charged Gardiner with murder.

Gardiner is currently on bail on those charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 23.

Susan Duff was last seen alive on Sept. 26, 1979, after eating supper with her family at their home in a Penticton mobile home park. At 5:30 p.m., she went outside to play with her sister and was last seen pedalling away on a bicycle.

A family picking mushrooms found Duff's fully clothed body among trees and rocks on Oct. 21, 1979. Her three-speed Mustang bike was found in the bushes a short distance away. Also found were a man's brown leather glove, a string of tape and a half-metre length of yellow nylon rope.
Police believe the body had been there since the girl disappeared almost a month earlier. An autopsy performed at the time failed to reveal the cause of death.

Suspect in 1979 murder of girl dies
By John Moorhouse
Friday, March 30, 2007

The man Penticton RCMP considered the prime suspect in the unsolved 1979 slaying of 12-year-old Susan Duff has died.
A police spokesman says although the file into the Penticton girl?s murder remains officially open, no further investigation is planned.
Ernest Gardiner, the brother of Susan?s stepfather, passed away last week at Penticton Regional Hospital at age 70. Gardiner, who had kidney disease for some time, fell victim to a heart attack.
Gardiner was charged in April 2005 with murdering Duff, as well as sexually assaulting six other young females dating back to the 1970s.
However, Crown counsel later decided not to proceed with the charges, suggesting there wasn?t enough evidence to gain a conviction.
RCMP Cpl. Hugh Winter said Friday police are satisfied that a thorough investigation was conducted, from the time of Susan?s death right up to when charges were laid two years ago.
?There has been no investigation since that date on this file, nor will there will be from this time on,? Winter said. ?We were satisfied that the proper course of action was taken by the unsolved homicide unit (in laying the original charges).?
Susan?s mother, Darlene Gardiner, said from her home in Okanagan Falls although Ernie?s death does not result in any vindication for her, it does bring a sense of relief.
?I?m just relieved that it?s over with,? she said. ?My little girl?s case is basically closed. He was the only one charged with the crime.?
Although her brother-in-law repeatedly denied any involvement with Susan?s death, Darlene said she remained unconvinced.
?I, without a doubt, feel in my heart that it was Ernie. There?s no way that will ever change, even if he had gotten down on bended knees and begged me,? Darlene said.
?She was 12 years old. She was still a child.?
Thursday would have been Susan?s 40th birthday.
Darlene Gardiner marked the occasion by visiting her daughter?s gravesite at Lakeview Cemetery in Penticton.
?I went up to the grave and put flowers on it, which I do every year and have done for 28 years.?
Darlene added she hopes Ernie?s passing may bring other members of his family back together. Her husband, Fred, had not talked to his brother since Susan?s death.
Susan Duff was last seen alive on Sept. 26, 1979. After eating supper with her family at their home off Skaha Lake Road, she went outside to play with her sister. The sister lent Susan her three-speed mustang bike and she was last seen at Skaha Lake Road and Yorkton Avenue, pedaling east on Yorkton.
Susan?s disappearance garnered intense provincewide media coverage at the time, as an exhaustive search was launched for the girl.
Almost a month later, a family discovered her fully clothed body among some trees and rocks a few metres off Carmi Road east of Penticton. The bike was found in the bushes a short distance away.
A brief obituary notice announcing Ernest Gardiner?s death was published in Friday?s Penticton Herald. He is survived by three sisters and two brothers. No memorial service is planned

.

[Chris]

In regards to Susan Duff's case the RCMP did charge her stepfather's brother with her death some ten years after the fact.  He was held in custody for 7 days then the charges were stayed.  It seems the RCMP did not confer with Crown Counsel before laying them.  CC didn't feel the evidence would support the charges.

That happens a lot. I think the police were hoping an arrest would bring some publicity and hopefullly a witness or something. Clearly the police feel there enough, but the Crown does not.

[Yale Girl]

From kindheart

Here are some not listed as HOT cases but from same general time and zone. Notice how Verna Bjerky was found just west of Hope. Chelsey Acorn was found just east of Hope.


1981/05/02  Yale  BC   17   F   Bjerky  Verna
1981/02/28  Golden  BC   19  F  Ha   Oanh
1979/09/26   Penticton   BC  12   F  Duff  Susan
1979/08/07  Davis Bay  BC 17  F   Jamieson Mary Ellen



I would like to correct you here. Verna's body has never been found. Only some of her personal effects. I was 5 when she went missing, but remember it very clearly, because I grew up in  Yale. I know, or should say knew her parents and siblings. They have asked Olsen again and again for her location, but he refuses to Even acknowledge her without a deal. I've always held out hope that er remains will be found and some peace can had by the remaining family members.

[Chris]

but he refuses to Even acknowledge her without a deal.

what a dirt bag. I guess that means though, he was responsible.

[Desespere]

None of the four listed above appear on the HOT list. I have to assume that is because the police have a strong suspect. I think usually when people are not included in special lists there are reasons we're not privy to. But looking over these cases again, the four girls listed, offers more insight into why they were not included in the HOT list, now numbered at 18.

Aug 8, 1979 - Mary Jaimieson - age 17 - Murdered? - not sure about this case, it is not in my database.
Sep 26, 1979 - Susan Duff - age 12 - Murdered, her bike and remains found month later - parents stand strong on ernie gardiner as suspect
Feb 28, 1981 - Oanh Ha - age 19 - Murdered, date is date found - clifford olson claimed murdering Oanh on his myspace page. As I don't have date last seen I can't say whether that could be true. olson says he was a Banff Springs hotel in 1979 and that is where Oanh worked. olson's myspace page has since been deleted. There is a post somewhere on here about that myspace page.
May 2, 1981 - Verna Bjerky - age 17 - Missing, some items of her clothing found - parents stand stong on clifford olson as a suspect.

According to these things, I would say either Susan Duff, Verna Bjerky and Oanh Ha were not victims of HOT killer or Transcanada killer; or, cliff olson and/or ernie gardiner were responsible for more murders than has been publicized. I've often wondered if Susan Duff and Verna Bjerky were part of a series. Verna was hitchiking from Godfather Pizza where she worked and Susan was riding her bike. Oanh was working at the Banff Springs hotel according to olson. It doesn't take long to get to Penticton from Banff or Penticton to Hope, BC where Verna was last seen. I'm not sure if these murders are related to others between Prince George to High level, Edmonton to Calgaray and Vancouver and back up to Prince George. It's 9hours to Penticton from Banff. Oanh Ha was found in Golden, BC 145km W of Banff on Highway 1 (TransCanada).

I can't confirm the details olson gave in his myspace page but if Oanh Ha was from Banff and was last seen in 1979 like olson said, it is possible he could be responsible for Oanh and Mary Ellen. If Oanh's remains were found in Feb 1981 near when she disappeared, then this time frame fits with Verna's disappearance and the time frame olson was active. I will have to confirm the timelines of olson again.
I can't remember if he was out of jail in 1979 but I'm sure the parents of Verna would know that so I assume he was out of jail and had access and opportunity to be in these areas.

I never thought of olson as a suspect in more murders than he confessed and I don't know why he's holding back on information in Canada because he has already received the maximum sentence possible. It could be that if olson is linked to more murders in Canada then something between the murders in Canada and some unsolved cases in border US states might result in his being charged in a death penalty case (which is what has been claimed keeps him quiet about murders in the US). Olson has relished in his fame and I think he's writing his book so his son can make a lot of money one day, maybe. He has garnered a $100,000 deal already, has been said he's writing a book to his son and now this about olson not wanting to talk about Verna until a deal is made. It can only mean a money deal in my eyes. Unless we look at who else olson could have murdered that match Verna's in some respects, a murder that happened in the States that has the death penalty. Sorry if this is all jumbled, just ask me to explain better if it's not clear and you want to know.

[MysTerri]

Does anyone remember the story of a couple that was gunned(?) down I think they were lovers on a beach near Tofino? This happened in sometime in the last year and a half. That murder caused me to think of Uncle Bubba. It was his MO to come upon lovers and gun them down. Maybe he is on the Island?

I promise if I see him again, he will not need a police officer to help him. I missed my chance to stop him. It is so not my nature to kill anything, but I should have stopped him and done the time with honour.



 

[MysTerri]

I found it. It wasn't a murder that happened in 2009, but the suspect of a double murder on a beach near Tofino - two lovers were camping on the beach in 1972 - was killed in 2009 in a shoot out with authorities in New Mexico, a man named Burgess. I have gotta wonder if he had friends along the way?

http://www.vancouverite.com/2009/07/21/man-wanted-in-1972-double-murder-in-b-c-kills-cop-and-dies-in-new-mexico-shootout/

I wonder if this guy did anything else in the 60's or 70's here in BC. There's a photo of the guy if anyone is curious.