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

[MistyWaters]

Which wife? I think details will arise over time and not all at once. Memories will likely come back gradually about CH’s behaviours. Suddenly, they’ll be triggered with a memory about something that took place, even if they can’t recall the date or time, and then that will become part of the putting the puzzle together for his whereabouts. For instance, maybe he was known to go hunting during the month of October back in the day, so maybe he wasn’t even expected home that night or for the whole week due to a hunting trip.

I haven’t noticed it reported what year CH and HH divorced but their marriage may’ve already been on the rocks at the time of Christine’s murder. During periods of relationship breakdowns chaos, lies, anger, feuds and avoidance of each other often is prevalent. 36 years ago is a really long time for someone to recall specific dates and times when it only become significant all those decades later.

If the ex held the answers this wouldn’t have become a cold case, otherwise then comes the insinuation “well she ought to have suspected him” which is totally unfair IMO,

One thing we do know is the ex isn’t going to state she knows for sure CH was home with her the day of the murder. There’s really no puzzle as to where CH was - he was present at the murder scene. JMO

BBM

“She says her family will not be making any additional comments, adding "this will be our only statement for the time being." Hoover, 63, says the statement is on behalf of herself, her children and her siblings. She says she has been divorced from Calvin "for a long time."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hoover-family-devastated-by-murder-accusation-1.5771340

 

[MsBetsy]

I wonder if he was even expected home that night? It’s hunting season in October and maybe he was leaving for a hunting trip or something else. But if he was considered a person who had contact with CJ, you’d think his whereabouts would have been investigated by LE.

I looked up about a dozen cold cases that occurred in that area since 1984 and about four or five of the victims went missing and were found dead in October or November. There were at least two or three that had been stabbed and one had her throat cut.

So it would be interesting to know if there was something significant about that time of year that would connect Hoover to other crimes. I also wondered if he travelled for business or if they had a vacation home.

 

[photographer4]

I haven’t noticed it reported what year CH and HH divorced but their marriage may’ve already been on the rocks at the time of Christine’s murder. During periods of relationship breakdowns chaos, lies, anger, feuds and avoidance of each other often is prevalent. 36 years ago is a really long time for someone to recall specific dates and times when it only become significant all those decades later.

If the ex held the answers this wouldn’t have become a cold case, otherwise then comes the insinuation “well she ought to have suspected him” which is totally unfair IMO,

One thing we do know is the ex isn’t going to state she knows for sure CH was home with her the day of the murder. There’s really no puzzle as to where CH was - he was present at the murder scene. JMO

BBM

“She says her family will not be making any additional comments, adding "this will be our only statement for the time being." Hoover, 63, says the statement is on behalf of herself, her children and her siblings. She says she has been divorced from Calvin "for a long time."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hoover-family-devastated-by-murder-accusation-1.5771340

Have read police considered him early on, but we don't know why. Its likely they already know where he SAID he was that day / that time, and where the wife said he was at the time etc. For whatever reason, he evaded detection. But its unlikely ex wife would now lie about it, knowing what she / he said to cops at the time.

 

[MistyWaters]

Have read police considered him early on, but we don't know why. Its likely they already know where he SAID he was that day / that time, and where the wife said he was at the time etc. For whatever reason, he evaded detection. But its unlikely ex wife would now lie about it, knowing what she / he said to cops at the time.

While police may have considered him, I don’t recall reading CH was ever interviewed or asked to provide a statement. And if he wasn’t, his wife wouldn’t have been questioned as to his whereabouts at all.

The entire travesty of this case is the wrongful zeroing in on GPM, including the profile of the killer that just happened to fit him (and not CH) plus testimony involving morphing timelines. I haven’t noticed any recent exclamation - “I knew it was CH all along!”. As we know nothing of his personality, it’s impossible to assume his behaviour might’ve been suspicious at the time. Maybe he was always a downright miserable sob who never formed close relationships with anyone?

Even if GPM hadn’t become the #1 suspect, I’ve noticed nothing reported about CH to indicate he should’ve been considered a prime suspect, not in 1984 nor until his time of death, not even in hindsight of the DNA match.

For every unsolved murder there’s a killer out there who for whatever reason managed to fly under the radar of LE, nothing about them raised red flags. CH appears to have been a good example. JMO

 

[MsBetsy]

While police may have considered him, I don’t recall reading CH was ever interviewed or asked to provide a statement. And if he wasn’t, his wife wouldn’t have been questioned as to his whereabouts at all.

The entire travesty of this case is the wrongful zeroing in on GPM, including the profile of the killer that just happened to fit him (and not CH) plus testimony involving morphing timelines. I haven’t noticed any recent exclamation - “I knew it was CH all along!”. As we know nothing of his personality, it’s impossible to assume his behaviour might’ve been suspicious at the time. Maybe he was always a downright miserable sob who never formed close relationships with anyone?

Even if GPM hadn’t become the #1 suspect, I’ve noticed nothing reported about CH to indicate he should’ve been considered a prime suspect, not in 1984 nor until his time of death, not even in hindsight of the DNA match.

For every unsolved murder there’s a killer out there who for whatever reason managed to fly under the radar of LE, nothing about them raised red flags. CH appears to have been a good example. JMO

There was an article or a document that stated that according to the 1984 case files, Hoover was a POI at one time. I'll have to see if I can find it again, but that's about all it said. There were no specific details.

I'm assuming investigators did speak to friends of the family as well as many members of the community but I haven't seen many transcripts of the interviews. It would be interesting if one with Hoover still exists in the file.

 

[MistyWaters]

There was an article or a document that stated that according to the 1984 case files, Hoover was a POI at one time. I'll have to see if I can find it again, but that's about all it said. There were no specific details.

I'm assuming investigators did speak to friends of the family as well as many members of the community but I haven't seen many transcripts of the interviews. It would be interesting if one with Hoover still exists in the file.

Below doesn’t really say much either but if he wasn’t considered a suspect, his whereabouts was likely not questioned by LE. I’m just happy he was identified finally.

“Toronto police confirmed Hoover was never before considered a suspect, but he was in the investigative file as someone who had access to Jessop.”
How did police miss Calvin Hoover during lengthy Christine Jessop investigation? Group for the wrongly convicted calls for ‘targeted’ review

 

[Forest_Wood]

Where do you suppose KJ would have obtained that info, or are you thinking he made it up and attributed it to LE? You're right tho, I haven't heard that term used in years and it's not a term used by medical professionals. (Was it ever? Im not sure. I had always wondered what that meant!) OTOH, it's possible an officer may have told JJ what happened when they told HH the news of her exhusband and the words changed through the various iterations of retelling.

It sounds like a phrase an older person might use since it’s so outdated. I think you’re right about words possibly being changed through iterations.

 

[Forest_Wood]

There was an article or a document that stated that according to the 1984 case files, Hoover was a POI at one time. I'll have to see if I can find it again, but that's about all it said. There were no specific details.

I'm assuming investigators did speak to friends of the family as well as many members of the community but I haven't seen many transcripts of the interviews. It would be interesting if one with Hoover still exists in the file.

I wonder how LE tracked their analysis of who gets ruled out? Would they have a clear record of the reason why? I think the public is entitled to know how they arrived at CH being ruled out. An article said it was noted by LE that CH was someone who had access to Christine. That, in addition to the family’s concerns that only 3 or 4 people were told that Christine would be home alone that day, you’d think someone would have picked up on the connection. It's curious how he got ruled out altogether at the time.

 

[MsBetsy]

I wonder how LE tracked their analysis of who gets ruled out? Would they have a clear record of the reason why? I think the public is entitled to know how they arrived at CH being ruled out. An article said it was noted by LE that CH was someone who had access to Christine. That, in addition to the family’s concerns that only 3 or 4 people were told that Christine would be home alone that day, you’d think someone would have picked up on the connection. It's curious how he got ruled out altogether at the time.

I think they were biased and once they were convinced Morin was responsible they built their case around him. Instead of following the evidence and developing a theory, they looked for and manipulated the evidence to fit their theory. Imo

 

[Forest_Wood]

If the ex held the answers this wouldn’t have become a cold case, otherwise then comes the insinuation “well she ought to have suspected him” which is totally unfair IMO,

One thing we do know is the ex isn’t going to state she knows for sure CH was home with her the day of the murder. There’s really no puzzle as to where CH was - he was present at the murder scene. JMO

BBM

“She says her family will not be making any additional comments, adding "this will be our only statement for the time being." Hoover, 63, says the statement is on behalf of herself, her children and her siblings. She says she has been divorced from Calvin "for a long time."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hoover-family-devastated-by-murder-accusation-1.5771340

She and her family won’t be making public statements again to the media. Won’t she be questioned again though in relation to other tips that come in surrounding CH? Such as, if they get a tip that CH was doing something suspect during a certain time, won’t LE need to fit all those pieces of the puzzle together by contacting her again to determine if she can recall certain details that match with the tip? Just curious how that might work.

 

[Forest_Wood]

I looked up about a dozen cold cases that occurred in that area since 1984 and about four or five of the victims went missing and were found dead in October or November. There were at least two or three that had been stabbed and one had her throat cut.

So it would be interesting to know if there was something significant about that time of year that would connect Hoover to other crimes. I also wondered if he travelled for business or if they had a vacation home.

I wondered the same thing about the possibility of a cottage or a hunt-camp. And yes, did he travel for his work.

 

[Forest_Wood]

I think they were biased and once they were convinced Morin was responsible they built their case around him. Instead of following the evidence and developing a theory, they looked for and manipulated the evidence to fit their theory. Imo

It’s just so unbelievable the travesty of this case for GPM and his family!

 

[MistyWaters]

I wonder how LE tracked their analysis of who gets ruled out? Would they have a clear record of the reason why? I think the public is entitled to know how they arrived at CH being ruled out. An article said it was noted by LE that CH was someone who had access to Christine. That, in addition to the family’s concerns that only 3 or 4 people were told that Christine would be home alone that day, you’d think someone would have picked up on the connection. It's curious how he got ruled out altogether at the time.

Do we know if the mother told LE about this phonecall at the time or was this something she recalled after CH was ID’d as the killer?

Sometimes it can be human nature to want to make things fit, such as testimony was changed as to when they arrived home so GPM fit within the window of opportunity.

 

[MistyWaters]

She and her family won’t be making public statements again to the media. Won’t she be questioned again though in relation to other tips that come in surrounding CH? Such as, if they get a tip that CH was doing something suspect during a certain time, won’t LE need to fit all those pieces of the puzzle together by contacting her again to determine if she can recall certain details that match with the tip? Just curious how that might work.

The woman has probably already been unmercifully hounded by the media so I can’t blame her for announcing she won’t be making public statements. Any expectation by the general public that she ought to have known becomes impossible for her to counter.

Attempting to defend herself through the media is much different from cooperation with a police investigation. I don’t believe the ex holds the key to unlocking CH’s life. We don’t know what year they were divorced or how cohesive was their marriage. Clearly she was shocked at her ex’s involvement in Christine’s murder so she’s as much a victim of his despicable deception as was the Jessop family.

JMO

 

[MistyWaters]

For me, one of the most interesting aspects about this case is how it disproves perpetrators are always odd or weird.

MANDEL: Christine Jessop's mother tries to make sense of daughter's killer | Toronto Sun
“.....But when the police first uttered his name, Jessop said it didn’t ring a bell. It was only when they said he was Heather Hoover’s husband that it all clicked into place.

Heather worked with her then-husband Bob Jessop and they’d become family friends. The Hoovers would bring their kids over for barbecues, the children would run out in the cemetery behind their house, and she and Heather would chat while their husbands would disappear with their beers.

Was there anything about Hoover that seemed off?

“No, he was a nice guy as far as I knew,” Jessop, 78, said. “There was nothing odd or different about him.”....”

 

[Tealgrove]

I think they were biased and once they were convinced Morin was responsible they built their case around him. Instead of following the evidence and developing a theory, they looked for and manipulated the evidence to fit their theory. Imo

I believe that's exactly what they did. MOO

 

[Tealgrove]

The woman has probably already been unmercifully hounded by the media so I can’t blame her for announcing she won’t be making public statements. Any expectation by the general public that she ought to have known becomes impossible for her to counter.

Attempting to defend herself through the media is much different from cooperation with a police investigation. I don’t believe the ex holds the key to unlocking CH’s life. We don’t know what year they were divorced or how cohesive was their marriage. Clearly she was shocked at her ex’s involvement in Christine’s murder so she’s as much a victim of his despicable deception as was the Jessop family.

JMO

She's in a tough spot.

There are others in the spotlight as well. CH has kids, albeit grown, but still a shocking revelation to deal with.

I can't imagine how I would feel if I was suddenly made aware that my former husband or father was the guy that murdered Christine Jessop.

This was a huge case at the time. We all knew about her murder and GPM. This is big stuff to deal with and not some little robbery.

I think she did the right thing. Co-operate with LE, make your brief statement and that's it.

MOO

 

[Forest_Wood]

The woman has probably already been unmercifully hounded by the media so I can’t blame her for announcing she won’t be making public statements. Any expectation by the general public that she ought to have known becomes impossible for her to counter.

Attempting to defend herself through the media is much different from cooperation with a police investigation. I don’t believe the ex holds the key to unlocking CH’s life. We don’t know what year they were divorced or how cohesive was their marriage. Clearly she was shocked at her ex’s involvement in Christine’s murder so she’s as much a victim of his despicable deception as was the Jessop family.

JMO

Who is suggesting “that she ought to have known”? I haven’t seen it suggested that "the ex holds the key to unlocking CH’s life.”

 

[Forest_Wood]

Do we know if the mother told LE about this phonecall at the time or was this something she recalled after CH was ID’d as the killer?

I have not seen it referred to anywhere except for the family making statements about it. It’s unclear whether they brought that to the attention of LE at the time.

 

[MistyWaters]

Who is suggesting “that she ought to have known”? I haven’t seen it suggested that "the ex holds the key to unlocking CH’s life.”

If you have seen it suggested, why the interest in CH’s exwife?