CANADA Canada - Leah Sousa, 13, Cumberland Beach, Ont, 1 Sept 1990

[JusticeWillBeServed]

I started reading the Poetic Justice book by Lora Sousa. Has her ex-boyfriend been completely ruled out? He comes across as an intense (possibly insane) person.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Bumping for Leah, it's now been 26 years and her murder is still unsolved.

 

[GreyClay]

Another article on this case:

Jun 04, 2017[FONT=&amp]
[/FONT]by Kelly Kenny

[FONT=&amp]“It was a horrific crime,” said OPP spokesperson Sgt. Peter Leon, who is familiar with the still unsolved case — one of the longest ongoing investigations in the history of the OPP with thousands of police interviews conducted over the course of nearly three decades. [/FONT]A $50,000 reward for information that leads to the killer’s arrest and conviction remains in place.[FONT=&amp]
“Somebody out there has the information that will solve this murder,” said Leon. “Although we’re approaching 27 years, the community has never forgotten what happened to this little girl and her mother.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Leon said one of the driving forces keeping the case alive is the community’s refusal to let the crime go unsolved.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]“I think this hit the community hard because so many of them were doing exactly what Leah’s family was doing that weekend. Getting ready to start a new school year,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]A recent graduate of Ardtrea Public School, Leah was about to embark on a new chapter as a high school student, Leon said. But that milestone would never come to pass.

https://www.northbaynipissing.com/n...er-continues-27-years-after-leah-sousa-murder[/FONT]

 

[GreyClay]

I see a few interesting parallels between this case and some of the crimes of the East Area Rapist / Original Night Stalker:

* As in this case, the EAR struck several times shortly after victims had returned to their homes, indicating he watched the houses for days, weeks and sometimes months in advance.
* As in this case, the EAR/ONS killed several of his victims with blunt objects that he subsequently removed from the house.
* As in this case, the EAR also targeted houses with young mothers present - and left the very young children unharmed.
* As in this case, the EAR sometimes dragged the victims outside, for no apparent reason (exhibitionism?)
* As in this case, the EAR attacked girls as young as 13, but also women in their 30's.
* The killer in this case wore a size 9 or 10 tennis shoe - the EAR wore a 9.5 tennis shoe at dozens of different rapes.


While it is HIGHLY unlikely that this crime is the work of the EAR/ONS the parallels are nevertheless very interesting to note. Perhaps the killer followed a similar trajectory: beginning with burglary, progressing to voyeurism and then to rape, and finally to murder.

MOO

 

[Julia36]

IMO, there were two perpetrators involved in this assault. One perpetrator probably was watching outside and this is why Leah was pulled outside. I believe that this was a mistaken identity and that they were really after Lora's brother. The perpetrators could have easily washed themselves off in the lake to erase any blood evidence. IMO, they should conduct another search for the murder weapon along highway 11. There was a credible tip that made them search the first time. Maybe expanding the search would be beneficial.

I believe that this case has not been solved as the OPP have tunnel vision and can't see beyond their own assumptions on the case. They have made some statements in the media that lead me to believe that they have their sights on a suspect. They need to remain open to fact that they may be wrong and their suspect does not still live in the Cumberland Beach area as they have previously stated.

 

[dotr]

[video=youtube;eqUrMkwTQ9w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqUrMkwTQ9w[/video]

 

[dotr]

June 4 2017
rbbm.
https://www.muskokaregion.com/news-...r-continues-27-years-after-leah-sousa-murder/

In a 2010 interview with this reporter, Lora revealed she was still haunted by the horrific events and had been having visions of someone trying to tell her they know Leah's killer and offering her clues.

At the time, a CTV W5 investigative piece on the murder was about to be aired.

Among the evidence described in the episode, it was noted police had identified a bloody shoe print found inside the home following the murder as coming from a Nike all leather court or tennis shoe believed to be either a size nine or 10.
Over the years, Leon said, police have worked continuously on the case, following up on thousands of tips and re-examining evidence as forensics techniques advance.

With two detectives currently assigned to the case full time, Leon said he is hopeful the right information will someday be reported, but he said time is of the essence, as many witnesses of the 1990 crime enter their senior years.

“In 27 years we’ve made significant steps, but there is still information that is lacking. We don’t want people leaving us without the opportunity to share, even if it seems minimal,” he said.

“It brought Leah’s picture and story back to the forefront,” said Leon, adding each time a step is taken police have gained additional information. Similarly, he said, new information comes in every time the media takes an interest in the story again, which happened in 2015 as Leah’s murder gained national attention on the 25th anniversary of the young girl’s death.

Having worked in the Crime Stoppers unit previously, Leon said he can’t stress enough the importance of calling to report any information a person might have even if it seems like nothing.

“From my time with Crime Stoppers I have spoken to tipsters that may think they have a small piece of information, but in speaking they realize they actually knew more,” he said.

 

[Julia36]

I hope they have kept Leah's clothes in evidence as they may be able to locate touch DNA off her clothes. They could even get a general description from any DNA they may locate. I would hope that the OPP have already done this as it could lead to some credible tips. I would be very interested to know just what information they have on this case. Of course, the OPP always keep hold-back information so we will never know unless it gets solved. I personally believe that it will be solved and identifying the perpetrators is just one phone call away.

 

[FindTheBeachKiller]

It is now 30 years next week since Leah was murdered. I have lived in Cumberland Beach since 1988. I only remember it vaguely though.

I've been reading up on the case, and have read part of her mother's book. My gut instinct is: who did she meet while she was away at her Aunts for the month prior? Perhaps a male took an interest in her there? Knew they were home now etc...

It doesn't seem random to me. If you saw the house, and how small it was and where it was located in the middle of a street, closely surrounded by other homes, it wouldn't be a great target for burglary or anything. There were much nicer homes half a block away on the waterfront. And if it was random, they would have raped the mother too. The cutting of Leah's hair that I read about somewhere, also seems very personal. An attack on her femininity.

The area back then was a bit "sketch" and very low income. (Not meaning to insult anyone, remember I am from the area) Unfortunately the neighbourhood was probably ripe with potential suspects.

The book of her mother's talks a lot about the teacher of Leah's (and father of the baby in the crib) Robert Hancock. I wish I could get my hands on police files to see what he had to say when questioned. It sounds like he had conversations related to children and sex, and tried on a few occasions to get Leah alone. He had gotten back together with his wife at the time of the murder, but I would think if they were involved, the mother would have been murdered most certainly.

It is very hard to imagine that nobody found her body earlier or heard much of anything. Again the yard is close to neighbours and is in the middle of the neighbourhood.

A friend of mine just renovated and flipped that house a couple of years ago. I visited it, and went inside while they were doing so. It is such a tiny home. The yard was also small for that area. It doesn't make sense to me that she would be raped inside and then bludgeoned outside. Why wouldn't they just keep her inside, but as someone else mentioned, maybe she started to get away?

There was another article in the paper today about it being her 30th anniversary. Maybe this will be the year for justice?
I think the police should give out more details this year. A picture of the shoe that made the print for instance. Maybe someone would recognize that their son lost his shoes back then etc?

 

[dotr]

Muskoka Region News
Aug 26, 2020 rbbm.
Who killed Leah Sousa? Murdered Cumberland Beach teen was 'sweetest person': family friend
''Thirty years after the brutal murder of a Cumberland Beach teen shook the small lakeside community north of Orillia, the impacts continue to reverberate as the anniversary of Leah Sousa’s death approaches.

“She had the biggest sweetheart smile that lit up a room, a laugh that just was so contagious,” remembered Emily Knight, a family friend who was 10 at the time of the murder. “She was the kindest, sweetest person in the world. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Three decades later, the memory of the still-unsolved murder continues to haunt the community.''

''He confirmed that evidence collected 30 years ago had been re-examined in the intervening years amid advances in forensic techniques.''

''Knight believes “there are people — and I mean people out there, who know, I think, someone or (more than one person) did it.”

She said the attack on Leah was “very personal,” noting the teen’s brother was left unharmed.

 

[Deleted member 275109]

There is an article in the Toronto Sun today called ” Cops turned up heat on cold cases in 2020” and cold case expert and Western University criminology professor Michael Arntfield is quoted as saying:

“Any case that has DNA is now, in theory, 100% solvable.”
I hope this will finally be the year Leah’s killer is found and justice is served.

 

[Kell1]

Was robbery/burglary suspected? Was anything taken ?

 

[dotr]

Was robbery/burglary suspected? Was anything taken ?

Nothing stolen as far as has been reported, wondering now if the perp might have been living there while the family was away for 6 weeks?
Link from 2008- maybe they can work some DNA magic now?
imo, speculation. rbbm.
Cops Offer $50,000 Reward For Info In Brutal Cold Case Murder - CityNews Toronto
''It happened on a stiflingly hot night right after the family, who had just returned from a six week vacation, had gone to bed. A killer broke into their home through a back door sometime between 1:30 and 3:30am.

Mother Lora Sousa was beaten and left for dead, eventually recovering in hospital from permanent injuries. Her daughter wasn’t as lucky. The same intruder sexually assaulted the terrified youngster before dragging her out to her own backyard and bludgeoning her with something similar to a crowbar. She died of massive head injuries.

A 9-month-old brother was left unharmed in his crib but grew up never knowing his older sister.

Leah Sousa’s friend discovered the carnage when she came to call on the family the next morning and ran for help.

Cops know the mom tried to get aid during her ordeal, but her broken hand and a destroyed phone prevented any chance of rescue.

The OPP calls this one of the most brutal and vicious cases they’ve ever dealt with – and they’ve never given up trying to solve it. A series of billboards is now up along Highway 11 giving the crime renewed publicity.

But there’s another new clue in this long stalled investigation and it’s something that wouldn’t have been available back in 1990. The OPP say they’re exploring a new avenue of DNA technology with help from American experts, in the effort to identify the killer.''

 

[Kell1]

Nothing stolen as far as has been reported, wondering now if the perp might have been living there while the family was away for 6 weeks?
Link from 2008- maybe they can work some DNA magic now?
imo, speculation. rbbm.
Cops Offer $50,000 Reward For Info In Brutal Cold Case Murder - CityNews Toronto
''It happened on a stiflingly hot night right after the family, who had just returned from a six week vacation, had gone to bed. A killer broke into their home through a back door sometime between 1:30 and 3:30am.

Mother Lora Sousa was beaten and left for dead, eventually recovering in hospital from permanent injuries. Her daughter wasn’t as lucky. The same intruder sexually assaulted the terrified youngster before dragging her out to her own backyard and bludgeoning her with something similar to a crowbar. She died of massive head injuries.

A 9-month-old brother was left unharmed in his crib but grew up never knowing his older sister.

Leah Sousa’s friend discovered the carnage when she came to call on the family the next morning and ran for help.

Cops know the mom tried to get aid during her ordeal, but her broken hand and a destroyed phone prevented any chance of rescue.

The OPP calls this one of the most brutal and vicious cases they’ve ever dealt with – and they’ve never given up trying to solve it. A series of billboards is now up along Highway 11 giving the crime renewed publicity.

But there’s another new clue in this long stalled investigation and it’s something that wouldn’t have been available back in 1990. The OPP say they’re exploring a new avenue of DNA technology with help from American experts, in the effort to identify the killer.''

Thanks DOTR (good to see you btw) so i have this correct , they were away for a month and a half return home and that night someone breaks in blugeons the mother, sexually assaults before taking the victim to the yard where she is beaten to death ?

No report of anything being taken

Weapon not recovered and was brought and removed by the offender

Were there any burglaries in the area at the time ?

 

[dotr]

Jun 6, 2017

 

[Kell1]

So the first thing that comes to mind is why were they away for so long ?

 

[Track]

Many possible suspects. David Snow considered?

 

[Julia36]

I have been following this case over the years but just recently read that Leah’s hair had been cut off during her attack. Can anyone else confirm this or have read this? I would be interested to know of any other unsolved homicide cases with this element to it. I’m just thinking it could be a signature for this perp.

 

[dotr]

I have been following this case over the years but just recently read that Leah’s hair had been cut off during her attack. Can anyone else confirm this or have read this? I would be interested to know of any other unsolved homicide cases with this element to it. I’m just thinking it could be a signature for this perp.

Cannot recall or immediately find any information about hair-cutting, but if true, that would be very interesting! imo.

 

[Julia36]

I read this on a site (can’t remember the name) where this guy said he was a neighbour when this happened. He said that the police weren’t very discrete and mentioned to his family, while being questioned, that her hair had been cut. I was just wondering if anyone else had ever heard of this and whether there is any truth to this. I don’t want to initiate any rumours to something that didn’t happen as that’s not helpful. However, if true, it does change my interpretation of this crime and what may have happened.