Canada - Christine Jessop, 9, Queensville, Ont, 3 Oct 1984 - #2 *killer identified*

[puppyraiser]

Wondering why a blood sample would be kept at the Centre for Forensic Sciences if a person committed suicide. Was the killer's autopsy completed there in the first place? Was he suspected of serious crimes back in 2015 or is it standard practice to keep vials of blood of deceased people?

 

[otto]

It makes sense that this could have happened.

Christine comes home from the store, a husband of her father's work colleague is waiting for her to take her to see her father in jail. She willingly goes with him.

At that point in the 80's when people were childproofing their children, there was a "stranger danger" but children were still expected to respect adults and people in power.

This breaks my heart that she was taken advantage of in this way.

It's interesting that all the pieces fell into place after her brother knew the suspect. It explained why her coat was hung too high for her to reach, why her recorder was missing, why there was no sign of struggle, how the suspect knew that Christine was alone and that she wanted to visit her father.

The issue that resonates with me is that Calvin Hoover was a close family friend. His wife worked with Christine's father. His wife knew that her husband was unaccounted for during the time that Christine disappeared and the time it took to drive 50km (30 miles), viciously assault Christine, and drive home. He would have been out of sorts when he returned - behaving somewhat different from other days. He would have returned to a community searching for Christine, but he probably went home and cleaned up.

Christine's mother would not have noticed because she was singled mindedly looking for her daughter. How did Hoover avoid all suspicion? I'm actually curious whether he was involved in pointing the finger at another neighbour: Guy Paul Morin?

 

[otto]

Wondering why a blood sample would be kept at the Centre for Forensic Sciences if a person committed suicide. Was the killer's autopsy completed there in the first place? Was he suspected of serious crimes back in 2015 or is it standard practice to keep vials of blood of deceased people?

It was said that police first spoke to Hoover in the year prior to the suicide about re-opening the case. That would be a good reason to hold onto the DNA.

 

[photographer4]

It's interesting that all the pieces fell into place after her brother knew the suspect. It explained why her coat was hung too high for her to reach, why her recorder was missing, why there was no sign of struggle, how the suspect knew that Christine was alone and that she wanted to visit her father.

The issue that resonates with me is that Calvin Hoover was a close family friend. His wife worked with Christine's father. His wife knew that her husband was unaccounted for during the time that Christine disappeared and the time it took to drive 50km (30 miles), viciously assault Christine, and drive home. He would have been out of sorts when he returned - behaving somewhat different from other days. He would have returned to a community searching for Christine, but he probably went home and cleaned up.

Christine's mother would not have noticed because she was singled mindedly looking for her daughter. How did Hoover avoid all suspicion? I'm actually curious whether he was involved in pointing the finger at another neighbour: Guy Paul Morin?

I'm over here wondering what else this guy may have done during his lifetime? Surely Christine wasn't his first or last, was she? Did he suddenly just break one day and commit these atrocities without any prior history or any further attacks? I mean, I know its not unheard of, but I mean, would it be unusual for him to start with that level of violence and torture?!

 

[Tighthead]

It was said that police first spoke to Hoover in the year prior to the suicide about re-opening the case. That would be a good reason to hold onto the DNA.

After he died, I assume the police could have obtained his DNA (perhaps by court order) if he had come up as a suspect.

His DNA sample was available to be matched, but they only looped back to it after the genealogical work was started. As a result, I would assume that at the time of his death and following he was not looked at as a suspect.

 

[photographer4]

I want to k ow what Hoover’s connection was, to the spot where Christine was found.
There had to have been one.

Exactly what I want to know! That place doesn't strike me as some random spot he happened upon with an abducted kid in his car! There is also the coincidence (I don't believe in coincidences in crimes really, but you might)... that another body (Deborah Silverman) was found a mere 9 miles from where Christine was found a few years later. I'm not saying Hoover did that crime too, but how can we rule it in or out? If DNA was found in that case, I hope to heaven they're testing it now against his DNA!

In regards to Nicole Morin, she vanished what, a year or so later? Where was this guy when she vanished? I'm happy that Christine's case is solved but I still hope for closure for all the other families still left in limbo, wondering, where someone is at, who took them, why...

 

[DSCrime]

So glad that Christine Jessop's killer has been identified. I watched a Crime Beat episode a few months ago where it was reported that police were using genetic genealogy to try to solve this case:

Publicly naming Jessop's killer is a different response by Canadian authorities than in the Ljubica Topic case, 1971 in Windsor, Ontario that was solved last year w/ genetic genealogy.

CANADA - Canada - Ljubica Topic, 6, Windsor, Ont, 14 May 1971

In the Topic case authorities didn't release the perpetrator's name, stating that he had died. Outrageous. Makes me wonder if they are sharing Calvin Hopper's name in part b/c of the miscarriage of justice done to Guy Paul Morin.

Condolences to the Jessop family and also thinking of Morin.

I hope authorities release a timeline of Calvin Hopper's movements, where he lived, where he traveled. Can't imagine Jessop was his only victim. Scared to think about how many children this man may have targeted, abused, killed. Terrifying

 

[photographer4]

It's interesting that all the pieces fell into place after her brother knew the suspect. It explained why her coat was hung too high for her to reach, why her recorder was missing, why there was no sign of struggle, how the suspect knew that Christine was alone and that she wanted to visit her father.

The issue that resonates with me is that Calvin Hoover was a close family friend. His wife worked with Christine's father. His wife knew that her husband was unaccounted for during the time that Christine disappeared and the time it took to drive 50km (30 miles), viciously assault Christine, and drive home. He would have been out of sorts when he returned - behaving somewhat different from other days. He would have returned to a community searching for Christine, but he probably went home and cleaned up.

Christine's mother would not have noticed because she was singled mindedly looking for her daughter. How did Hoover avoid all suspicion? I'm actually curious whether he was involved in pointing the finger at another neighbour: Guy Paul Morin?

Actually, I've read posts by her brother here and at other forums, and he had always been pretty clear in his theory that someone probably told her they would take her to see their father and that she ran back in for the recorder later found with her remains.... I cannot imagine the hell he has been through.

 

[Satchie]

Wondering why a blood sample would be kept at the Centre for Forensic Sciences if a person committed suicide. Was the killer's autopsy completed there in the first place? Was he suspected of serious crimes back in 2015 or is it standard practice to keep vials of blood of deceased people?

I don't have any sources, but I would say a centre for forensic medicine would just routinely catalogue and store small amounts of any biological specimens they receive, for any purpose, indefinitely. It's not that they know that one particular sample will be useful, but rather that anybody's sample might be of key value in the future, and if they get rid of it, then there won't be anywhere else to get it.

If they ran out of space and couldn't get any funding to build more, then they would have to decide what to dispose of to make room. At that point, it might be the oldest material first. Five years is not that old.

ETA: also, the sample would be kept with their report of the tox or other tests. For eg, what if the suspicion arose that someone had been murdered, rather than suicide. Even if it came up decades later, the Centre for Forensic Studies would need to be able to go back and rerun the test, or otherwise check their own staff's work.

JMO

 

[photographer4]

So glad that Christine Jessop's killer has been identified. I watched a Crime Beat episode a few months ago where it was reported that police were using genetic genealogy to try to solve this case:

Publicly naming Jessop's killer is a different response by Canadian authorities than in the Ljubica Topic case, 1971 in Windsor, Ontario that was solved last year w/ genetic genealogy.

CANADA - Canada - Ljubica Topic, 6, Windsor, Ont, 14 May 1971

In the Topic case authorities didn't release the perpetrator's name, stating that he had died. Outrageous. Makes me wonder if they are sharing Calvin Hopper's name in part b/c of the miscarriage of justice done to Guy Paul Morin.

Condolences to the Jessop family and also thinking of Morin.

I hope authorities release a timeline of Calvin Hopper's movements, where he lived, where he traveled. Can't imagine Jessop was his only victim. Scared to think about how many children this man may have targeted and abused.

Right? I think its awful they won't name Ljubica's killer when they have his name, and know who it was! How come it is ok to release the information in this case, but not in other cases? We have been told by Ken Jessop that he recalls that Calvin and Heather Hooper had children - surely those kids, and perhaps even Heather are still alive? In Ljubica's case, they said they didn't want to release his name b/c of the impact to his remaining family members. I'm sorry that people's lives would be affected by the release of information in a negative way, but why on earth does a killer have privacy when his victims and the family of the victims do not?

Did Ljubica have privacy when her violated broken remains were found? Were her family not scrutinized as suspects? That its preferable to protect the privacy of a vicious killer is outrageous in my view.

 

[photographer4]

I don't have any sources, but I would say a centre for forensic medicine would just routinely catalogue and store small amounts of any biological specimens they receive, for any purpose, indefinitely. It's not that they know that one particular sample will be useful, but rather that anybody's sample might be of key value in the future, and if they get rid of it, then there won't be anywhere else to get it.

If they ran out of space and couldn't get any funding to build more, then they would have to decide what to dispose of to make room. At that point, it might be the oldest material first. Five years is not that old.

JMO

We've heard he had some other criminal history, not related to the Jessop case, but we weren't told what other history he had. If they're now trying to trace his movements between the time of Christine's murder to when he died, we have to ask why they're doing that? Sounds like they suspect him on some other outstanding matters as well. I wonder where his wife and kids are at and how're they're coping with this news

 

[Tighthead]

Right? I think its awful they won't name Ljubica's killer when they have his name, and know who it was! How come it is ok to release the information in this case, but not in other cases? We have been told by Ken Jessop that he recalls that Calvin and Heather Hooper had children - surely those kids, and perhaps even Heather are still alive? In Ljubica's case, they said they didn't want to release his name b/c of the impact to his remaining family members. I'm sorry that people's lives would be affected by the release of information in a negative way, but why on earth does a killer have privacy when his victims and the family of the victims do not?

Did Ljubica have privacy when her violated broken remains were found? Were her family not scrutinized as suspects? That its preferable to protect the privacy of a vicious killer is outrageous in my view.

There were no children mentioned in Hoover’s father’s obituary. Ken Jessop may have a faulty memory on that.

 

[photographer4]

Here's a though for ya... Cheryl Hanson vanished 10 years before Christine Jessop. Calvin Hooper would have been about 18/19 at the time. I wonder where that guy was at and what he was doing when that kid went missing?

 

[photographer4]

There were no children mentioned in Hoover’s father’s obituary. Ken Jessop may have a faulty memory on that.

I couldn't find the obit... can you point me in the right direction?

 

[Satchie]

If they're now trying to trace his movements between the time of Christine's murder to when he died, we have to ask why they're doing that? Sounds like they suspect him on some other outstanding matters as well

RSBM

I think it's just criminal profiling that someone who has committed this type of crime, may have done it more than once.

 

[Tighthead]

RSBM

I think it's just criminal profiling that someone who has committed this type of crime, may have done it more than once.

They also need to figure out how he flew under police radar. The identification of the killer just further illuminates what a terrible investigation this was, at basically every stage.

 

[Tadpole12]

Exactly what I want to know! That place doesn't strike me as some random spot he happened upon with an abducted kid in his car! There is also the coincidence (I don't believe in coincidences in crimes really, but you might)... that another body (Deborah Silverman) was found a mere 9 miles from where Christine was found a few years later. I'm not saying Hoover did that crime too, but how can we rule it in or out? If DNA was found in that case, I hope to heaven they're testing it now against his DNA!

In regards to Nicole Morin, she vanished what, a year or so later? Where was this guy when she vanished? I'm happy that Christine's case is solved but I still hope for closure for all the other families still left in limbo, wondering, where someone is at, who took them, why...

Police release age-enhanced photo of Etobicoke girl who went missing in 1985

Nicole Morin, missing since 1985, Etobicoke

 

[Tadpole12]

Here's a though for ya... Cheryl Hanson vanished 10 years before Christine Jessop. Calvin Hooper would have been about 18/19 at the time. I wonder where that guy was at and what he was doing when that kid went missing?

Cheryl Hanson - York Regional Police

Cold Case Files: Family seeks closure after 7-year-old girl goes missing 42 years ago

Cheryl Hanson missing since 1974, Aurora.

 

[otto]

I'm over here wondering what else this guy may have done during his lifetime? Surely Christine wasn't his first or last, was she? Did he suddenly just break one day and commit these atrocities without any prior history or any further attacks? I mean, I know its not unheard of, but I mean, would it be unusual for him to start with that level of violence and torture?!

That's true. There must be earlier victims of abuse. Other murders within 100+ km of his homes and work should be reviewed.

 

[nuff]

There were no children mentioned in Hoover’s father’s obituary. Ken Jessop may have a faulty memory on that.

Assuming it's the right obit, just google Hoover's name and you'll find it. No mention of wife or children, so presumably they had split up. (Odd that the grandkids weren't included, but maybe he'd severed ties with both wife and his own family.) Or, Jessop could be confused - it was a long time ago, and he was young.