CANADA Canada - Donna Stearne & Wendy Tedford, both 17, Toronto, 26 Apr 1973

[dotr]

Someone was telling me about the vivid dream Wendy had of I think being shot with a friend - supposedly when LE checked her locker at school she had written out the dream - and it was evocative of what actually happened. Any of you who have looked at this case for a while know about this - and what do you make of it? Thanks in advance

BBM
Perhaps something was going on that the girls had seen or heard of and subconsciously registered that danger was brewing and the message was "given" in a dream and "documented" by Wendy and left in her school locker...

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...letter_ordering_a_hit_on_three_witnesses.html


"Bracken, she told court, no longer trusted his friends, and two weeks before his death got a “Trust No One” tattoo. He had recurring dreams that one of his friends was going to set him up to die. That friend is among the four accused.

At a time when the code of silence continues to thwart police trying to solve homicides, the significance of her unwavering co-operation — she also provided two lengthy police statements — would not be lost on Nordheimer. In 2010, he was forced to declare a mistrial after a jury failed to come to a verdict in the first trial of two youths accused of killing 15-year-old Jordan Manners.


During the trial, the Crown raised the possibility that fear motivated two teenage girls to recant previous statements. The defence said there was no evidence of direct threats. The girls’ recanting prompted Nordheimer to call on the attorney general for a review of the circumstances"

 

[CrimeSolver]

Two weeks from the 40th (!!) anniversary.

 

[CrimeSolver]

These girls were murdered 40 years ago almost to the minute, as I write. Let's hope a breakthrough comes at some point.

 

[dotr]

Details of Investigation
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/homicide/case/3


"On Friday, April 27, 1973, at about 7:30 a.m., an 18 year old male, was on his way to school, taking a short cut through a vacant lot. As he walked north on the east side of the lot he discovered the fully-clothed bodies of two females lying together in a pool of blood.

He then went to a nearby factory at 949 Wilson Avenue and called police, who attended at the scene a short time later and commenced an investigation.

The two victims were identified as 17 year old Donna STEARNE and 17 year old Wendy Ann TEDFORD.

Autopsies revealed that both girls had been shot in the head. The shells recovered indicated a .38 calibre weapon had been used.

Investigations reveal that on Thursday April 26, the two close friends arranged to go out shopping. Donna left home about 7:00 p.m. and arrived at Wendy's apartment about 7:30 p.m. The two left the apartment shortly after.

They travelled via public transit to the Yorkdale Mall where they spent a couple of hours. They left the mall and travelled by bus to the area of Keele Street north of Wilson Avenue. They were last seen in the "Sit n' Eat" Restaurant at about 10:45 p.m., ordering cokes. They did not stay long, and no one saw them leave shortly after 11:00 p.m.

The crime scene is only a short distance away from the restaurant.

After the bodies of the two girls were discovered, the residential area east of the lot was canvassed and several residents reported hearing loud bangs around midnight on Thursday.

Despite the short time from the last sighting to the believed time of deaths, all enquiries by police failed to provide sufficient information to resolve the matter.

Several months later, in an unrelated investigation, Ontario Provincial Police officers in the Windsor, Ontario area, recovered a .38 Colt revolver, 6 shot, with a 6" barrel. The revolver was routinely submitted by the O.P.P for examination at the Firearms Section of the Centre of Forensic Sciences. The Colt was examined and positively identified as being the weapon that fired the bullets which killed both girls.

It was determined that the Colt revolver had been stolen from a home in the Windsor area during a break and enter several months prior to the girls' murder. Extensive enquiries in the Windsor area failed to reveal any information concerning the homicide."

 

[dotr]

Could it be possible that the girls never went to the restaurant and that was a mistaken sighting or time?

 

[Chorley8]

Could it be possible that the girls never went to the restaurant and that was a mistaken sighting or time?

Putting this post together with your previous mentioning "fear" among young people: it is interesting that all of the various witnesses are around the same age as Wendy and Donna. 1. The witness at the Sit'n'Eat as Dotr says it is possible they were never there 2. The witness who heard the shots around midnight I think was around there age though there was at least one other witness to the sounds not sure of their age. 3. the kid who found their bodies in the morning.

And Dotr yes I have questioned that too were they ever there. The owners said it was busy and they would not have noticed. Now if fabricated that would explain his comments about seeing the girls at school, how one blushed etc. There was a sighting of them getting the bus at Keele and Lawrence I believe. Not sure if it was a bus-driver or yet another teenager.

The witness who found their bodies does not go to the nearby houses or back to his own house (remember their bodies are right beside the fence) he goes across the large field to the business to get G. Melo. Not sure if they knew each other both Italian I think.

I can't believe that LE could never shake anything loose from all of the kids they interviewed. Surely someone knows what went down that night.

On the Toronto Crimes thread by way of a long-shot I mentioned that the family of Mariam Peters (homicide) lived near Keelegate when she was born - they moved a bit further north a few years later and were in a quite different neighbourhood when she was killed (bizarre hyper-violent stabbing at subway). But: did she still hang out around the SitnEat or the Downsview Rest? There was a kosher meat store there at the time D & W were killed did her family still shop there? Also Wendy and Donna down at College and Yonge that night shopping. Subway

 

[Chorley8]

Biggest flaw I see in the case is that simply because the girls were clothed it was decided there was no sexual assault - even though one of the girls had DNA from an unknown male in or on her body (not sure which).

Most rape and assault the victim knows the perpetrator. So let's assume someone they know forced them into sex. Not a violent take down rape but coercive. They redress and the perp even says he will drive them home. Attack could have been in a car, at their new apt. in a house adjacent to the field many possibilities. Either 1. young person and adults are protecting or 2. older person with org. crime links they do not have to be in org. crime themselves just now someone - who arranges the finding of the bodies. One or more of the girls begins to freak saying " I am going to tell them you raped me". Sealed their fate. I agree with SamIAm's comments about the trucking companies nearby- huge potential link to Windsor.

Bothered by comments by the guy who the student went to get help from - says he felt bad for them since they were just kids. Slight "it had to happen" or "it had to be done" feeling to it. Could just be the way he is or the way it was reported.

Doubt they were killed over dope. But that got them out late and vulnerable that is possible.

On another note - I think Donna's father ended up in Prince Albert - did they have previous links there back in 73? Thinking of the Pen there. Lots of people work in the town or pulp mill while on parole etc. Different thought this than the one above.

They gun they were killed with was a crappy gun. What does that suggest?

I think people know - strange LE can't shake more facts loose.

I would talk to the owners of the 2 restaurants. And then I would talk to them again. And again.

Final angle I can think of right now if the parents work in armed forces. No ideas just broaching. But the crummy gun doesn't point to that.

No idea why LE would say they were killed for no reason. They may have been killed for a reason.

 

[dotr]

What if the girls were safe keeping the gun for somebody and had a meeting that fateful night, to either return or sell it?
Maybe that was in mind when one of the girls had that prophetic nightmare.

 

[dotr]

The truck driver who came across the bodies said one of the girls had a bleeding hand formed in the shape of a "claw". Why would that be, does it suggest they were holding tight to an object?
Did I understand correctly that the bodies were found side by side, head to toe as if 'packed"?
Could that be a similar trait to lining up cigarettes on a table the way Dennis Melvin Howe was known to do...
If the girls liked shopping for clothing bargains, did they frequent Spadina where DMH worked...

 

[Chorley8]

The truck driver who came across the bodies said one of the girls had a bleeding hand formed in the shape of a "claw". Why would that be, does it suggest they were holding tight to an object?
Did I understand correctly that the bodies were found side by side, head to toe as if 'packed"?
Could that be a similar trait to lining up cigarettes on a table the way Dennis Melvin Howe was known to do...
If the girls liked shopping for clothing bargains, did they frequent Spadina where DMH worked...

Far as I can tell Howe war in prison at the time - in 1969 in court he got the following sentences two for unlawful confinement and two for robbery
Crime 1 3 years
Crime 2 6 years consecutive
Crime 3 4 years consecutive
Crime 4 8 years consecutive

Next charge is 1977 being unlawfully at large: who knows though with parole etc. not sure how the 1977 charge fits though it would seem it was for a fairly minor infraction as it was a short sentence - you can see his rap sheet pretty well in full up to 1983 on the David Ridgen film on Sharin's case from CBC now available easily on Vimeo.

 

[Chorley8]

The truck driver who came across the bodies said one of the girls had a bleeding hand formed in the shape of a "claw". Why would that be, does it suggest they were holding tight to an object?
Did I understand correctly that the bodies were found side by side, head to toe as if 'packed"?
Could that be a similar trait to lining up cigarettes on a table the way Dennis Melvin Howe was known to do...
If the girls liked shopping for clothing bargains, did they frequent Spadina where DMH worked...

1 The "claw" at first I thought from climbing the fence but the fence it quite low and they were shot from about 3 feet away I think. Next I thought just some panic reaction after they were made to lie down and the second to be killed heard the shot and reacted. Even a neurological reaction after being shot. But you are making me think - are you suggesting they had the gun or were grabbing for it?

2. Yes "packed" one face up one face down head to foot as I understand it. Crimesolver has opined that it had to be deliberate I think I read Det. Wilkinson thought it could just be that is the way they fell - I believe he thinks they were shot standing up.

3. Timing is a huge issue still if Haines said 11 and the witnesses say 12 - but I think Currie said 11 perhaps and the 17 year old girl Kor. said 12 or a bit after. It does sounds that Kor. heard something more likely to have been a shot Currie a different kind of sound - but who knows.

 

[Chorley8]

There are no end of odd details about Yonge Street in the 70s. The rather rich Airsts supposedly activists for the JDL and from what I understand social benefactors in many ways were murdered and I believe owned the strip bar above which Emmanuel Jacques was slain - David Norris of the Star some of you will know the rumours about some of his extra-curricular activities wrote on that crime - when I moved to Toronto 70s, kiddie *advertiser censored* open on shelves in stores on Yonge, in the Jacques trial it is unbelievable what some of the young witnesses had to say what they had suffered around there some of those things should STILL be investigated. No I am not saying any of the above are linked the point is really that they almost certainly are not.

Guns: on Yonge Street 1976 a guy from a somewhat fading soul band invited me to his hotel room said he would give me a free pass and backstage pass tall very cool guy, when we got to room he opened door in desk and there was....a gun. I wasn't afraid but cautious and just left no idea if it meant anything...it probably didn't he was from the US....but there was endless trouble in Yonge in the 70s. As I said if they combined clothes shopping and drug shopping on Yonge they could have run into something WAY over their heads and maybe not connected with SitnEat etc. at all. Could they have been a bit freaked about something at that point and went somewhere familiar, safe? Had something already happened? (Foreign DNA). The timing thing Crimesolver was getting at - have to look at that again it is key. Did anyone but that one kid say they were at the SitnEat? And they were also seen at Keele and Lawrence. These sightings bother me it is all so neat.

Did they go to the SitnEat and then get killed?
Or did they go to Yonge and College (close to Dundas a 5 minute walk) and then get killed?
As someone suggested maybe they never made it to Yorkdale.
As someone suggested maybe they never made it to the SitnEat.
I now I am stretching things did they go about further somewhere like Rochdale which didn't close till 75. The utopia was over by 73 and it had become a tough place - with drugs available - it was a supply centre for outside of Hamilton 50 miles away then.

I wonder what was on at the Gardens that night? College and Yonge. Will get a City Directory should be able to figure out where they might have shopped (I don't think we know?).

Rochdale College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[CrimeSolver]

Did they go to the SitnEat and then get killed?
Or did they go to Yonge and College (close to Dundas a 5 minute walk) and then get killed?

I think that they were at the SitnEat is nigh-incontestable. They weren't only seen by schoolmate Anthony (?) across the street, but by diner staff. The somewhat intriguing question is, where did they get the recently-eaten burgers the coroner found in their systems if, as the SitnEat server insists, they only had sodas. I guess the answer is, anywhere on Yonge St. But then, having already stopped for food, why make the extra trip to SitnEat for sodas, unless there was another reason for going there? Eh, it's unknowable. Young people can be extremely impulsive.

As someone suggested maybe they never made it to Yorkdale.

I'm the one who suggested that, simply because, if they went downtown, as we now know they did, they wouldn't have had enough time to pop into Yorkdale (which isn't even taking into account that the mall closes at 9). Plus, reason suggests they wouldn't have ended up on a Lawrence Ave. bus (1.5 km in the wrong direction) if they were intent on heading to SitnEat. They would have taken the subway to Wilson station and hopped onto a westbound bus from there. That's my conjecture, but as I said, they weren't necessarily doing everything in a well-planned manner, as one views it 40 years later sitting at a computer.

I now I am stretching things did they go about further somewhere like Rochdale which didn't close till 75. The utopia was over by 73 and it had become a tough place - with drugs available - it was a supply centre for outside of Hamilton 50 miles away then.

Doubt it. Too far out of the way given the time constraints, but possible.

And by the way, I would definitely not rule out David Norris.

 

[Chorley8]

Thanks yes I was unsure if there were other witnesses at the SitnEat that is very helpful.

Anyone have resources for David Norris?

 

[CrimeSolver]

As far as I know there's nothing "official" on Norris. Just the testimony of his daughter, who says, if I remember correctly, she was in the car when her father killed Yvonne Leroux in 1972.
She goes by Liquid Lounge here at WS. Here's one of her posts: Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - CANADA Canada - Lloyd Larsfolk, 14, & John McCormick, 15, Caledon Ontario, Aug 1981

Here's her Youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/Diggingfortruth3?feature=watch

:dunno:

 

[Chorley8]

OK and posts 62 to 65 on the Lloyd Larsfolk/Maccormick thread are a discussion between Crimesolver and L.L. of Wendy & Donna in relation to Norris - recommended. And if you are in the mood for a horrible chill see the photos N'.s daughter says he took of her at Rattlesnake Point on that thread.

Now it is an interesting point Crimesolver brings up there about there being only three attested photos etc by Norris that may be incorrect but I remember long ago not finding much on or by him as well. I wonder what his relationship really was with the Star. Did he travel?

 

[CrimeSolver]

^^Yes, I can't remember everything I have discussed here at the forum, so some of what I write might be a repetition of something I have posited in the past. I don't remember having discussed this case with Liquid Lounge. I agree with her that Tedford/Stearne isn't consistent with the M.O. of Yvonne Leroux and some of the other missing/murdered girls she claims her father was responsible for.

As far as Norris, I read somewhere that he first worked with the Star, then moved over to the Toronto Sun in the late-'70s. He is now deceased.
The Star search, which isn't as pinpoint as I would like, comes up with a few results based on a name search of "David Norris". This time, the search engine came up with many more results than the three I got last time.
The first is a photograph taken by a David Norris (probably the same person) for the Friday, March 8, 1968 edition. Interestingly, the accompanying story, by Robert Fulford, is about a painter named Dennis Burton, who had an art exhibit focused on the vagina (personal note: one of the women pictured in the photo, Diane Pugen (misspelled "Pugan"), was an art teacher of mine in high school more than 20 years later. Small world.).
Next there's a written piece from 1972, and some from the following years, apparently ending with a story from August 22, 1977 entitled, "Castrate or jail dangerous sex offenders, sexologist says".
He co-wrote a crime article with Dale Brazao, who still works for the Star. It might be instructive to contact Brazao for his thoughts on Norris, if he remembers him at all.

 

[Chorley8]

As always, clutching at straws:

Susan Tice homicide she was from Leith ON near Owen Sound I believe it is possible Donna's family was from there or had relatives there in a different little town - not 100% sure - very small towns.

 

[Chorley8]

Just bumping this salient post.

I wish I could answer your questions, but I am neither on this case officially, nor a member of law enforcement.
There is no publicly-released evidence that they headed north on Keele St. to meet a third person, but I also don't understand why they went there. Not only was the restaurant out of their way, but it was late on a school night, and they would have had to waste a bus ticket to go there just for cokes, when they could have gotten drinks at numerous places along the regular route (These are largely residential areas, but there are strips of shops everywhere). I also don't know why they took Lawrence Avenue to the mall and back. As you can see from the first map, it would have been shorter and faster to go along Wilson, and, to my knowledge, there already existed a bus route along Wilson way back in 1973. Docwho3, yes, it was long before the internet, but I also have a sense that they might have gone to meet someone. What speaks against that theory is where the gun was stolen and located. No high school kid would have regularly travelled back and forth to Windsor. My feeling is, it is an older person (25+) whom the girls did not know; someone who may have offered the girls a ride.

Richard, the Toronto police dept. has jurisdiction, but as to the other questions, I have no idea. I doubt the killer is an American, but it's a possibility I haven't considered. All I know about the gun's discovery is what is written in the police release above, but, according to that, there was an extensive investigation that was fruitless. I don't know if the RCMP was involved; if they were, they didn't "get their man".

 

[dotr]

A lengthy article about guns and identification ..
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...ronto-bulletproof-ibis-technology-police.html

"Advanced technology is helping Toronto police learn more about the history of the guns they seize from city streets, but wary criminals are paying attention and taking steps to thwart that process.

Police say that when they retrieve bullets, fragments or shell casings from crime scenes, investigators can tell if they have come from a firearm that they have seen before. They do this using the Integrated Ballistics Identification System, a Canadian-designed technology that analyzes the unique, three-dimensional markings of the projectiles that are left behind when a gun is fired.

Robyn Thomas, a forensic firearms technician at Ontario's Centre of Forensic Sciences, told CBC News that guns are imprinted with characteristic markings at their point of manufacture.

"Each one is unique," she said.

These unique markings make an impression on the bullets they fire, which is why the IBIS technology can help link one to the other"



http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/bulletproof/

"Every time a handgun is fired,
it creates evidence.

Watch how police use that evidence
to connect criminals to their crimes".