Background
Montreal, Quebec, Canada circa 1979. The city bearing its name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill in the center of the city, and suburbs, was mostly calm. Relocations there were common. Growth was evident, both in technology and agriculture, but not at such a rate to turn people off. Neighbors often knew each other and said, “Hi” when they passed by. Significant community events during that time included the foundation of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. Tourists flocked to Montreal too, as they have since, hoping to practice their French and experience the rich cultural life one could find there. Nightlife and high-priced restaurants were available for the chic, and if you wanted to escape the fast-paced life, you could head to the suburbs and chill out. Times were rather good in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Montreal, but someone had come to town who would change all that, basically overnight, ripping the community apart one gruesome murder at a time.
Rumors of a serial killer in Vancouver had made their way to Montreal. However, locals dismissed the stories and were confident nothing like that would happen in their beautiful province. They boasted how safe and clean Montreal was and how proud they were to reside there. Sadly, they had no idea their world was about to be flipped upside down.
A killer, living two very different lives, was graduating from petty crimes to committing cold-blooded murder. William Fyfe was becoming more brazen, more ill-tempered, and his anger had graduated to uncontrollable. Strangely, when he wasn’t causing death, fear, and destruction, he was helping people, doing odd jobs for very little money…seeming to genuinely have others’ interests in mind. A war raged in his mind, and before long, he would commit some of the most disgusting and filthy crimes I’ve ever investigated.
Now, let’s take a look at the background of this case, which doubles as the backstory of William Fyfe, aka “The Killer Handyman.”
Suzanne-Marie Bernier
On October 17, 1979, the corpse of Suzanne-Marie Bernier, a sixty-two-year-old woman, was discovered in Cartierville, Montreal, stabbed several times. Her body, including face and neck, were badly bruised. Further investigation revealed she’d also been sexually violated…after she was dead. Case notes indicated the scene was “gory” and seasoned investigators never recalled seeing such destruction and chaos being done to a human being prior to this. Although the home and scene were scoured for evidence, not much was found. No witnesses came forward and no leads developed. The case remained open but was shelved pending the discovery of new evidence.
Nicole Raymond
On November 14, 1979, the body of twenty-six-year-old Nicole Raymond was discovered in Pointe-Claire, Montreal, stabbed numerous times and brutally beaten. Her remains, as with the case of Bernier, showed signs of sexual assault after she was killed. The crime scene, according to accounts relayed by the investigators who were there, was horrific. Blood splatter everywhere and clearly a brutal struggle had ensued prior to Nicole succumbing to her wounds. According to reports, the acts were committed “…by an aggressive animal-like attacker.” The authorities who’d investigated Bernier’s murder noted similarities at the crime scene for Raymond, but they did not, at that time, believe they were dealing with a serial killer. Again, no witnesses came forward and no concrete physical evidence was obtained to provide investigators with leads. As with the Bernier case, this one also remained on a shelf as a “cold” homicide.
Hazel Scattolon
On March 21, 1981, Hazel Scattolon, a fifty-two-year-old woman, was discovered in Montreal, stabbed numerous times and beaten with a blunt object. A preliminary examination at the scene indicated she had been sexually violated after she died of her wounds. Investigators at this scene recalled the gruesome murders of Bernier and Raymond and noticed similarities to their victim’s brutal death. The investigators began to believe the cases were connected based on evidence found at all three crime scenes. Frustrating to them, however, was the fact little physical evidence was obtained at the scene that would help develop a lead or identify a suspect.
After this third murder, the police force began seriously considering a serial killer might be at work. They drew conclusions based on the pattern that had developed: female victims who lived alone, two of the three were in the same age range, they’d been stabbed during an attack with no signs of forced entry. The victims must have willingly let the suspect in, and they’d all been sexually assaulted after they were deceased.
Developing a pattern is one thing, but developing leads and identifying a suspect(s) is generally the hard part. As a previous homicide investigator, I can tell you that this point is among the most frustrating of working these types of cases. You respond to murder scenes, detect a pattern, and then have absolutely no leads to work. I’ve had many sleepless nights and have worn my teeth down worrying about the victims and my inability to put their family at ease by putting someone in jail for their crime.
Nevertheless, as with the two previous murder cases, this one was shelved and classified as a “cold” case pending the discovery of new evidence or leads.
On September 26, 1987, the body of thirty-seven-year-old Louise Poupart-Leblanc was discovered in Saint-Adèle, Laurentides. Poupart-Leblanc had been stabbed repeatedly. She’d been beaten to death with a blunt object. Further examination of her body revealed she’d been sexually assaulted postmortem. Different than the other cases was the fact that DNA was collected at the scene. Within a few weeks, based on the DNA, it was determined the killer was a male.
General conjecture was that the killer got sloppy while stabbing the victim and had nicked his own hand. Despite their efforts and the wide-spread media coverage for this case, it also went on a shelf as a “cold” case. The DNA was compared to thousands of samples in a database, but no hits surfaced. However, the DNA from this scene would play a significant role twelve years later.
Also, based on the fact Poupart-Leblanc’s murder was very similar to the other murders, the investigators began to firmly believe they were trying to identify a serial killer. Instead of wondering if another victim would be discovered, the investigators wondered when he’d strike again.
Heated meetings at the police department demonstrated the community was beyond scared. Rightfully so. The police department did little to calm their nerves because they did not have answers. Citizens were not convinced the police were acting on everything they could to identify the killer and felt the police were not doing a good job of keeping them safe.
The bottom line is every investigator and police officer I’ve ever met wants to protect and serve the community. In the case of murder, this testament increases tenfold. We want to catch the killer and will exhaust every possible lead and angle imaginable; however, if there are no witnesses, evidence, or clues left at a scene, we’re not magicians.
While reading newspaper articles from the era, I got the sense that law enforcement and the public were completely irate, but for different reasons. The police wanted answers just as badly as the community did, but the truth of the matter was there were no answers to be had. If I were working during that time and assigned to the case, I’d have been stressed out and frustrated too.
The feeling of helplessness, especially for a police officer, is rare but quite difficult to deal with.
As tension mounted in the communities, another tragedy struck. On June 9, 1989, the corpse of Pauline Laplante, a forty-five-year-old woman, was found in Saint-Adèle, Laurentides. Laplante had been stabbed numerous times and beaten to death with a blunt object. Similar to the other four cases, she too showed signs of being sexually violated after she’d been killed. Her murder was the pivotal case in the William Fyfe investigation.
Both the police and the public were convinced a serial killer was stalking and hunting women in the greater Montreal area. Law enforcement officials openly cautioned all women, via press releases, to remain inside and not to answer the door for strangers. Newspapers and radio broadcasts revealed that no sign of forced entry had be
en found in the five murders and they believed the killer was being let into the homes while playing the part of a handyman or plumber.
Some physical evidence had been located at the latest crime scene, but police were unable to focus on one person. Beyond the fact that the MO was similar and the victim fit the age and description of the other victims, police again had no leads.
It’s difficult for me to imagine how helpless the police and community would have felt at this point. You know a serial killer is loose, you know who he’s targeting, yet you have no idea who he is or who the next target will be.
Because the killer apparently had worked out a routine and manner in which to gain entry into the victims’ homes, this demonstrated a high level of sophistication, which further scared the hell out of the community.
These five murders obviously rocked the various small communities in which they occurred. Police were equally dumbfounded but appeared genuine in wanting to solve the murders. The last thing anyone wanted was widespread confusion and panic, but that’s what was happening. Officials were continually asked to provide answers but were unable to do so. They had to admit that they had no solid leads and no positive progress had been made in any of the five murders (stretching over an eight-year period). Rightfully so, the families of the victims were clearly upset and continued to request updates as to what, if anything, the police were doing to catch the killer. Yet, like several homicide cases I’ve investigated, and despite the efforts of the community and law enforcement to identify a suspect, these homicides went “cold,” remained unsolved, and sat on a shelf waiting for some sort of miracle.
The murders stopped abruptly after 1989. Locals and police speculated that perhaps the killer had died, had been killed, or arrested for some other offense and was incarcerated, preventing him from being able to kill more women. Other homicide cases surfaced in Montreal during that time frame, but none of them matched the serial killer’s MO.
A majority of the inspectors involved in the first five homicides retired over the next twenty years, but these disgusting, unsolved homicides remained in their minds and in the hearts of the police department personnel who investigated them.
Despite what people may think, homicide investigators become attached to their cases and want to solve them. It takes a special person to work these types of crimes. When you see death, particularly brutal scenes committed by savages, it wears on you. Most homicide investigators at some point ask to rotate out of their position based on the terrible things they see, hear, and process internally.
***
Fast-forward to October 15, 1999, only two days before the anniversary of the Suzanne-Marie Bernier murder that occurred on October 17, 1979. The body of a woman living alone was discovered in her own back yard. She had been killed with a blunt object. Naturally, the case shocked the community, but it was not immediately connected to the murders from twenty years prior.
Nothing unusual about that because investigators work with what is in front of them, then branch out to other cases if they’re seeking leads. No one would have guessed at a connection between the cases. At the time, it might have been discussed as a sticking point for citizens as the William Fyfe case moved on, but honestly, to think the police should have known it was the same killer from the murders twenty years prior would be asking far too much. It’s very rare for criminals to take a leave of absence from killing, especially twenty years. They almost always get caught in the middle of their killing sprees or end up being killed while police try to apprehend them.
Discussion of a serial killer returning to work did not cross the minds of the investigators, but as they worked the case, several murders followed causing them to reconsider, and later believe that a serial killer was responsible.
Robert, the husband of Anna Yarnold, the female victim in this case, discovered her body (October 15, 1999). At the time, no connection was made with this murder and the previous five discussed here. But, further investigation into Anna’s murder, several months later, revealed significant evidence indicating someone completely devoid of human feelings had killed her…and he was not done killing.
Anna, aged fifty-nine at the time of her death, was located in Senneville, Quebec, in her backyard. She’d been beaten with a cement flower pot, located near her head. Whoever had committed the crime then went back into her home and stole items from her purse, indicating the motive for her death was robbery. Puzzling to police, though, was the fact that killing her by repeatedly smashing her head just to steal a few bucks from her purse was extreme overkill. Based on the signs of struggle and destruction inside the home and out, it was obvious Anna had put up a good fight until she perished. Investigators could not wrap their minds around the fact that someone would kill her in such a brutal manner for basically the contents of her purse. They’d later learn that Anna’s bank card had also been taken and used. Another small detail that later helped identify the killer.
An article in the Toronto Star stated that people in the tiny Senneville community, population 1,500 were reportedly mortified, “…because crimes like that just don’t happen here.” Robert Yarnold, Anna’s husband, was initially suspected of this heinous crime. The police focused all of their attention on him hoping to solve the murder as quickly as possible. They were focused on trying to put the small community at ease. Unfortunately, the real killer struck again in the next few weeks, further terrifying the town. If you recall what the police did after the fourth murder, you know they began warning people to remain inside, especially women, and not to open their doors for strangers. Immediately after Anna’s murder, the police reissued a similar, stern warning: stay inside and don’t answer the door for strangers.
Police continued to treat Robert as their main suspect and moved forward with their investigation while listing him as a person of interest in his wife’s murder. This was later admitted by the police to be a mistake and caused a delay in locating the real perpetrator. However, this mistake was not the reason the killer was able to kill again. The fact of the matter was there were no other leads, no evidence, and no witnesses for police to interview or follow up with.
On October 29, 1999, the body of forty-five-year-old Monique Gaudreau was found by her sister. Murdered in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, Gaudreau had been beaten and stabbed several times. Signs of sexual assault added to the clues. Soon it became evident to investigators, after learning from the coroner that Gaudreau had been stabbed approximately fifty-five times, that the person responsible for the murder was obviously angry, clearly messed up in the head, and extremely disturbed. Pools of blood were found throughout her room, and the brutality and manner of her death shocked even the most hardened investigators. While the police and forensic specialists aggressively investigated this case, they still did not identify a suspect right away. Determined to crack the case, police worked throughout the night and into the next morning trying to locate evidence. They were no closer to identifying a suspect when further disaster ensued a few weeks later.
Theresa Shanahan
On November 19, 1999, Theresa Shanahan, fifty-five years old, became the next case. Located in Laval, Quebec, she, like Gaudreau, had been stabbed to death, outrageously at least thirty-two times in addition to being beaten. Investigators noticed the scene was very similar to what they had discovered at Monique Gaudreau’s home. Law enforcement began to consider, based on the MO, that there might be a serial killer at work.
The community as a whole expressed outrage. Fear skyrocketed. Average citizens turned to the police for reassurance but did not get it right away. Unbeknownst to the public was the fact that significant evidence was being collected at the scene and local investigators were already chasing leads to identify and apprehend the killer. As police began to piece together Ms. Shanahan’s murder case, the shameless killer struck again.
On December 15, 1999, the body of a fifty-year-old woman, Mary Glen, was found. Discovered in Baie-d’Urfé, Quebec, Glen had been beaten and stabbed num
erous times, and her body showed signs of sexual abuse. A blunt object was used in addition to her being stabbed. Ms. Glen died a violent death. The crime scene was similar to the previous two (Shanahan and Gaudreau). Police now had four vile murders occurring in less than three months, three of which appeared more than likely done by the same killer.
A wave of panic washed over Montreal. People wanted to hear everything would be all right, but the police were being tight-lipped about their evidence because they did not want to let the killer know they were making progress. Residents demanded updates, but the authorities were slow to release them. Law enforcement wanted to put the public at ease, but their larger obligation meant catching a killer to bring justice to the victims and their families.
This, thankfully, was the last murder the serial killer would commit. Careful comparison of evidence, by the way of a partial smudged fingerprint, located at Ms. Glen’s home, would finally provide the investigators a solid lead. Within the halls of the police department, a small roar of cheers could be heard as a person of interest for the murder of Ms. Glen was identified based on fingerprint evidence found at her home. Now, after months of concern, speculation, and frustration, law enforcement finally had someone to investigate…forty-four-year-old William Fyfe.
He was not arrested right away as most people would have expected. That fact served as a source of frustration to community members, but it was clearly the right call. Remember, at the time, he was only a person of interest in one murder, not a suspect. The possibility existed that they could locate William and he would have a logical explanation for his fingerprint being at the murder scene. Ms. Glen could have easily hired him months or even years earlier to do some handyman work around the house. Approaching him right away and confronting him with their evidence could have also spooked him and caused him to run. Either way, if they pushed the investigation too fast, it might have ended up stalled and the investigators would have been back to square one.
The Killer Handyman: The True Story of Serial Killer William Patrick Fyfe (Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked the Nation Book 7) Page 2