Case History
On the morning of May 3, this victim was located floating face down in the Nation River about 100 yards from the Highway 417 bridge. The Nation River is just west of Casselman, Ontario and just thirty five miles from Ottawa.

When the body was recovered it was discovered the victim's wrists were bound together in front using a man's necktie. Two other neckties had been used to secure the ankles. Her head was wrapped in 2 cloths, a bloodstained hand towel and a loose scrap of patterned cloth, adhered to the towel.

Around her was a kitchen towel, knotted in the back to form a ligature. Underneath this towel was cable wire wrapped around the victim's neck.

Thirty blood spots were found on the bridge roadway and a there was a splatter of blood on the bridge rail.

The body had probably been submerged in the water for a period of 1-4 weeks.

Due to the blood found on the bridge it was believed the murder might not have taken place before April 19th, when the last heavy rain occured that would have washed away all evidence of the blood.

No blood from the body or from the bridge could be used as forensic evidence. The woman had been beaten about the head area. Death was eventually caused by strangulation.
No persons could be matched in either Canada or the United States with the victim. Fingerprint checks and descriptions were both checked.

The police receovered the following items with the victim's body:

• "Irish Toast" towel: This item was manufactured in Ireland, exported to Toronto, Ontario and distributed to stores in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. They were sold at $1.39 (Canadian) each and had been stocked in stores for some time. The towel had Irish Gaelic printed on it, spelling out a traditional Irish toast.
• A decorative necktie featuring the emblems of three Canadian provinces: The necktie was manufactured in Montreal and had been sold by various stores in the province of Quebec and in the eastern part of Ontario.
• Partial dentures: No dentist in Canada or the United States could identify the dentures. They believe the dentures were made in a country where dental standards were not considerably high or had been made by an inexperienced person. The craftsmanship was poor.
• A blue and gray necktie.
• A red and white necktie.
• 2 fringed green cloths: each 70 inches long and 48 inches in width.
• A hand towel with a loose scrap or red and white patterned cloth adhered to it.
• Flat black plastic-covered wire: This was was the typical wire used in cable television hook-ups. The plastic wire had a slight splattering of gray paint.


The only real clue was a vague report from a store clerk in Mamora who remembered selling a provincial necktie to a man and woman couple. The woman matched the victim's description, but the store clerk could not remember a date for the sale.

The male with the woman at that time could only be described as possibly 5'4"-5'6" and about 35 years of age.


Victim's Dentures

---

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Ottawa Police Service
613-236-1222
info@ottawapolice.ca

NCIC Number:
N/A
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information: "Disappearances", by Derrick Murdoch

---

Return to the Unidentified Victims' Index