Canada- Christopher Smith, 22, fatally stabbed, Portage Bridge between Gatineau & Ottawa, Ont., 12 April, '96, Dna, arrest- Lawrence Diehl, 73, 2024.

[dotr]

Suspect in the 1996 Murder of Christopher Smith is Identified

Ottawa Police Service and Toronto Police Service Team with Othram to Identify the Suspect in a 1996 Homicide

dnasolves.com

"In July 2023, the Ottawa Police Service and Toronto Police Service teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help generate new leads and assist with identifying the unknown suspect. Evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram's casework costs were funded via a funding award from the Solicitor General, which supports the Toronto Police Service in providing forensic genetic genealogy services across Ontario for cases involving unidentified human remains, historical homicide, and sex assault.

Othram scientists successfully used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect. The Toronto Police Service forensic genetic genealogy team worked to generate new leads in the case. These leads fueled a follow-up investigation, leading to the identification of a suspect in the case.

Lawrence Diehl, 73, was arrested by police in Vancouver on behalf of Ottawa police. Diehl is now charged with second-degree murder in connection with Smith's death.''

Ottawa police make arrest in 1996 homicide cold case

Using advanced DNA techniques, police have made an arrest in a decades-old homicide.

ottawacitizen.com

''While walking home with his cousin on April 12, 1996, 22-year-old Smith was fatally stabbed several times during a confrontation with an assailant on Portage Bridge between Gatineau and Ottawa.
Smith’s cousin flagged down passing vehicles for help and emergency responders soon arrived. The 22-year-old was later pronounced dead at a Gatineau hospital.''

''The attacker suffered his own injuries, leaving a trail of blood to a downtown Ottawa phone booth, where he called for an ambulance. All police had was the DNA they collected from the phone booth and a recording of the 911 call.

Nearly 30 years later, Lawrence Diehl, 73, was arrested Dec. 10 and charged with second-degree murder in relation to Smith’s death. He was returned to Ottawa by investigators from Vancouver on Dec. 13.''

 

[PacoElFlaco]

An interesting point about this case is that the bridge where the stabbing occurred is immediately adjacent to Major's Hill Park, which was a well-known place for Ottawa homosexual men to meet anonymous sex partners, and also a notorious site for gay bashing. Groups of young men would go there specifically to attack and rob the homosexuals. There were several other murders and assaults in that area during that time period. I think at least one victim was thrown into the river and drowned.

We still do not know why an out-of-town man in his 40s got into a knife fight on that bridge with two men in their teens/early 20s that night.

I have a feeling that this case will become very controversial when and if the details about what actually happened come to light.

 

[otto]

An interesting point about this case is that the bridge where the stabbing occurred is immediately adjacent to Major's Hill Park, which was a well-known place for Ottawa homosexual men to meet anonymous sex partners, and also a notorious site for gay bashing. Groups of young men would go there specifically to attack and rob the homosexuals. There were several other murders and assaults in that area during that time period. I think at least one victim was thrown into the river and drowned.

We still do not know why an out-of-town man in his 40s got into a knife fight on that bridge with two men in their teens/early 20s that night.

I have a feeling that this case will become very controversial when and if the details about what actually happened come to light.

Do we know that the suspect was from out-of-town at the time of the murder, or did he move out of town after the murder?

 

[PacoElFlaco]

Do we know that the suspect was from out-of-town at the time of the murder, or did he move out of town after the murder?

From the articles I read, he was in Ottawa for business at that time and has always lived in BC.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

Found a link to a video and article about the other earlier attacks in this area. The bridge where Smith was stabbed is a very short distance down the road at the bottom of the photo.

 

[otto]

From the articles I read, he was in Ottawa for business at that time and has always lived in BC.

I'm trying every search keyword I can think of and can't find a link stating that the suspect was in Ottawa at the time of the murder. Do you happen to have a link handy?

 

[PacoElFlaco]

Stubbs said police have connected with Smith's family to inform them of the new developments in his case. Investigators have asked anyone to contact the Ottawa Police Service's homicide unit with information about Diehl and time in Ottawa, as detectives learned he was there for work-related reasons at the time of the murder.

Link

 

[otto]

Stubbs said police have connected with Smith's family to inform them of the new developments in his case. Investigators have asked anyone to contact the Ottawa Police Service's homicide unit with information about Diehl and time in Ottawa, as detectives learned he was there for work-related reasons at the time of the murder.

Link

Thank you! I bet he was surprised to be arrested 3 decades later. Maybe he is like Israel Keyes, who initially committed murders far from home. Since it seems so random, I'm guessing he is being compared to other murders in the area and in Vancouver.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

Thank you! I bet he was surprised to be arrested 3 decades later. Maybe he is like Israel Keyes, who initially committed murders far from home. Since it seems so random, I'm guessing he is being compared to other murders in the area and in Vancouver

I have a very different theory on this case that I recall deciding on way back when this case was new. (I grew up in Ottawa before leaving in 2004) I don't know if I am allowed to expound on my theory here, though.

I will say this: What kind of serial killer or deliberate murderer would call for an ambulance for a guy he just stabbed?

The suspect fled the scene after some sort of altercation on the bridge in which both he and Smith were stabbed. Police followed a trail of blood to a payphone where the suspect had phoned for an ambulance to come see to Smith. The blood in the phone booth is where the DNA came from that pinpointed Diehl as the suspect.

 

[CuriousDetective]

I have a very different theory on this case that I recall deciding on way back when this case was new. (I grew up in Ottawa before leaving in 2004) I don't know if I am allowed to expound on my theory here, though.

I will say this: What kind of serial killer would call for an ambulance for a guy he just stabbed?

The suspect fled the scene after some sort of altercation on the bridge in which both he and Smith were stabbed. Police followed a trail of blood to a payphone where the suspect had phoned for an ambulance to come see to Smith. The blood in the phone booth is where the DNA came from that pinpointed Diehl as the suspect.

The way the article was worded, I had assumed the suspect called an ambulance for themselves.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

The way the article was worded, I had assumed the suspect called an ambulance for themselves.

No. He had the ambulance sent to the bridge that he had already fled. See this story

 

[PacoElFlaco]

I won't make any definitive statements on my theory, but I will summarize what I know that led me to that theory:

-A 40ish guy from another city goes to a location that is in a notorious gay pickup area and is also a place where young delinquent men have been known to go to beat, kill and rob gays.

-The guy finds himself in a confrontation of an unknown nature with two young men on the bridge. The conflict escalates until the guy and one of the young men suffer knife wounds.

-The guy runs away bleeding and calls for an ambulance to save the young man he stabbed on the bridge.

-The guy then disappears back to his life in British Columbia for 30 years until he is exposed by DNA.

 

[ttcRider]

The way the article was worded, I had assumed the suspect called an ambulance for themselves.

That's how I read it too at first.

 

[Sillybilly]

The way the article was worded, I had assumed the suspect called an ambulance for themselves.

That's correct.

Excerpt from: Ottawa police make arrest in 1996 homicide cold case

Smith’s cousin flagged down passing vehicles for help and emergency responders soon arrived. The 22-year-old was later pronounced dead at a Gatineau hospital.

The attacker suffered his own injuries, leaving a trail of blood to a downtown Ottawa phone booth, where he called for an ambulance. All police had was the DNA they collected from the phone booth and a recording of the 911 call.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

That's correct.

Excerpt from: Ottawa police make arrest in 1996 homicide cold case

Incorrect. The suspect did not call an ambulance for himself. He had it sent to the bridge where Smith was dying.

Former Ottawa police major crimes investigator Randy Wisker remembers making a "mad scramble" to get to a pay phone in the early morning hours of April 12, 1996, after a fatal stabbing on the Portage Bridge.

Emergency dispatchers had received a call for an ambulance to the bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., but the person who placed the call didn't give a name.

Excerpt from Ottawa police use DNA from 1996 murder to identify Vancouver stabbing suspect

 

[CuriousDetective]

I won't make any definitive statements on my theory, but I will summarize what I know that led me to that theory:

-A 40ish guy from another city goes to a location that is in a notorious gay pickup area and is also a place where young delinquent men have been known to go to beat, kill and rob gays.

-The guy finds himself in a confrontation of an unknown nature with two young men on the bridge. The conflict escalates until the guy and one of the young men suffer knife wounds.

-The guy runs away bleeding and calls for an ambulance to save the young man he stabbed on the bridge.

-The guy then disappears back to his life in British Columbia for 30 years until he is exposed by DNA.

I am curious as to what your theory is

 

[PacoElFlaco]

I am curious as to what your theory is

I am surprised that my theory isn't apparent from my list.
Let's just say that I anticipate that Diehl's lawyers will argue self-defence.

 

[CuriousDetective]

I am surprised that my theory isn't apparent from my list.
Let's just say that I anticipate that Diehl's lawyers will argue self-defence.

I think there could be a couple of different theories arising from your list. It will be interesting to see how the case proceeds.

 

[PacoElFlaco]

I think there could be a couple of different theories arising from your list. It will be interesting to see how the case proceeds.

Can you share the different theories?

 

[Sillybilly]

Incorrect. The suspect did not call an ambulance for himself. He had it sent to the bridge where Smith was dying.

Former Ottawa police major crimes investigator Randy Wisker remembers making a "mad scramble" to get to a pay phone in the early morning hours of April 12, 1996, after a fatal stabbing on the Portage Bridge.

Emergency dispatchers had received a call for an ambulance to the bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., but the person who placed the call didn't give a name.

Excerpt from Ottawa police use DNA from 1996 murder to identify Vancouver stabbing suspect

You could be right, but IMO the wording is ambiguous and neither article clarifies whether he called for himself or for Christopher. I think we'll have to wait to see if there is some clarification.