CANADA Canada - Veronica Lynn Kaye, 18, Toronto, 7 November 1980 *unique button found*

[Snively]

There is a person of interest, but no suspect. The man, 45-years-old at the time Veronica was killed, would not face investigators in the interview room. He died in 2001, and there isn't enough physical evidence to say definitively that he was responsible for snuffing out the life of 18-year-old Veronica, or even to officially label him a suspect. He was 45-years-old, lived in Caledon, and he was working in Mississauga or Toronto. Police said that this man was married and had children. He lived in the Caledon area for about four or five years and was an active hunter. The suspect has died, and unless there's a witness or evidence, it's over."

Notes:

1. Parents divorced.
2. She was at the photo lab and left at 1:30 p.m. telling her friend she had a ride waiting outside who was going to take her to Square 1. (If it was someone working it sure seems to be someone who would have been finishing a night shift or a truck driver having completed his runs for the day).
3. Skull was fractured and one of her baby fingers was broken.
4. The button is a clip on button, not a sewn on button.
5. The remains were found with a bus transfer from Mississauga Transit

 

[Gina20]

Not sure if this is the case i once read about concerning a button left behind with a victim, or another case- probably the same one but if different, that would be interesting.
Any chance the killer carries such a button around and tosses it near the deceased as some kind of a statement or symbol? Or did it simply come off, perhaps in a struggle with the victim?
Not many items of clothing would have the style of button, but could imagine it on items like a leather jacket or jean button flies, imo, speculation.

You might be thinking of the 1971 murder of Elizabeth Anne Porteous by Wayne Clifford Boden of Dundas, Ontario, whose cufflink was embedded in her shoulder. This case made history in Canada.

https://chinookhistory.ca/blog/f/the-case-of-the-vampire-rapist

 

[Snively]

The button was found under Veronica's body, apparently fallen off. It didn't belong to any of the clothes she was wearing.

 

[Gina20]

Elizabeth Anne Porteous was a physical education teacher, I believe. She fought hard against her attacker, and that is how his cufflink became embedded in her back.

It sounds like Veronica fought back, too, but she might not have had Elizabeth's strength.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Unsolved murder of Ontario woman 42 years ago could be cracked by unusual clue

The unsolved murder an Ontario teenager who "disappeared without a trace" in 1980 could be cracked by an unusual button found near her remains, police say.

The Ontario Provincial Police issued an appeal for information on Tuesday into the cold case murder of Veronica Kaye.

The 18-year-old was last seen in November 1980 after she left her grandmother's apartment in Etobicoke and boarded a Mississauga Transit bus to Square One Mall.

Police said she stopped on the way at Cherish Photography and met with a friend.

"That was the last time anyone saw Veronica alive. She disappeared without a trace," police said in a news release Tuesday.

Kaye's body was discovered 11 months later in an "isolated wooded area" on Humber Station Road in Caledon.

No arrests were ever made and the case remains unsolved.

'LINGERING QUESTIONS'​

According to police, an "unusual button" was found near Kaye's body that did not come from her clothing.

The unsolved murder an Ontario teenager who "disappeared without a trace" in 1980 could be cracked by an unusual button found near her remains, police say.

The Ontario Provincial Police issued an appeal for information on Tuesday into the cold case murder of Veronica Kaye.

The 18-year-old was last seen in November 1980 after she left her grandmother's apartment in Etobicoke and boarded a Mississauga Transit bus to Square One Mall.

Police said she stopped on the way at Cherish Photography and met with a friend.

Who killed Veronica Kaye? 18 year-old Veronica was last seen alive on Nov. 7, 1980 in Mississauga. Her body was found 11 months later in Caledon. The #OPP and Veronica’s family continue to seek answers. More at Ontario Provincial Police - News / Nouvelles. pic.twitter.com/pyD53vFjJg
— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) May 30, 2022

"That was the last time anyone saw Veronica alive. She disappeared without a trace," police said in a news release Tuesday.

Kaye's body was discovered 11 months later in an "isolated wooded area" on Humber Station Road in Caledon.

No arrests were ever made and the case remains unsolved.

'LINGERING QUESTIONS'​

According to police, an "unusual button" was found near Kaye's body that did not come from her clothing.

This 'unusual' button was found near Kaye's body and it did not come from her clothing, police said. (OPP)

"(It) remains a lingering question for investigators," police said. "This button could help find her killer."

Police are urging anyone who can identify the button and “possibly help solve the case” to come forward.

"In a renewed plea, the family asks the public to come forward if they know anything, or anyone who could be connected to Veronica's brutal murder," police said. "For Veronica's family, the pain is still real and they long for answers."

 

[imstilla.grandma]

What happened to Toronto teen last seen alive in Mississauga whose body was found brutally murdered in Caledon woods?

Valerie Brennan said people who lose a child, or a sister are never the same.

www.bramptonguardian.com

 

[dotr]

What happened to Toronto teen last seen alive in Mississauga whose body was found brutally murdered in Caledon woods?

Valerie Brennan said people who lose a child, or a sister are never the same.

www.bramptonguardian.com

Thanks for posting this very good (and current,May 30, 2022 ) video, @ approx.5:50 the importance of the button found near the remains is discussed and shown..

Also at this point in the investigation, analysis of a hair found on the clothing is being conducted.

 

[dotr]

2021

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Veronica Kaye vanished without a trace on November 7, 1980, after leaving a friend’s workplace on Hensall Circle in Mississauga.

It wasn’t until nearly eleven months later, on October 9, 1981, that her remains were discovered by near Duffys Lane northwest of Bolton.

S2-EP30: Disappearance Shrouded in Mystery: Uncovering Veronica Kaye’s Unsolved Case

Disappearance Shrouded in Mystery: Uncovering Veronica Kaye’s Unsolved Case Ontario Cold Cases – Canada’s True Crime Podcast: S2-EP30 Veronica Kaye vanished without a trace on November …

nicollinvestigations.wordpress.com

 

[dotr]

Oct 09, 2024

MURDER MYSTERY: OPP determined to solve 1981 slaying of Veronica Kaye

It’s been 43 years since Veronica Kaye was found slain in a shallow grave near Bolton – 11 months after vanishing from Mississauga.

torontosun.com

Veronica Kaye, 18, was found slain in a wooded area near Bolton on Oct. 9, 1981, 11 months after she vanished from Mississauga, and her murder remains unsolved 43 years later. Photo by Toronto Sun files

''It’s been 43 years since Veronica Kaye was found slain in a shallow grave near Bolton – 11 months after the 18-year-old A-student was last seen hopping into a van in Mississauga.''
'
The pretty blond had just been accepted to Humber College and was heading to Square One shopping centre in Mississauga to buy a new outfit for a keg party when things took a sinister turn on Nov. 7, 1980.'

On the way to the mall, she popped into a photography store on Hensall Cirlce – near Dundas St. E. and Cawthra Rd. – to visit a friend.

“I’ve got to run … I’ve got a ride,” Kaye told her friend before climbing into a white van.''

May 30, 2022
'Veronica Kaye was a typical, fun-loving 18-year-old teenager. On Nov. 7, 1980, she left her grandmother’s apartment on Markland Drive in Etobicoke and boarded a Mississauga Transit bus to Square One Mall. She stopped on the way at Cherish Photography on Hensall Circle and met with a friend. That was the last time anyone saw Veronica alive. She disappeared without a trace. Eleven months later, her body was found in an isolated wooded area on Humber Station Road in Caledon. Tragically, this case remains unsolved.An unusual button was found near Veronica’s body that did not come from her clothing and remains a lingering question for investigators. This button could help find her killer. Can you identify the button and possibly help solve the case?Do You Know Something?For Veronica’s family, the pain is still real and they long for answers. In a renewed plea, the family asks the public to come forward if they know anything, or anyone who could be connected to Veronica’s brutal murder.Hoping to spark new tips from the public, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has produced another episode of the OPP Investigative Lens – Unsolved video series. If you have any information, please contact Criminal Investigation Services, OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (tips). '

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Was there ever any questioning of Joseph George Sutherland who raped and murdered Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour in 1983 in Toronto? He didn't confess until 2022. I find that all three women have similar features albeit different ages.

The Killer of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour is Identified

Toronto Police Service Uses Othram’s Genetic Testing Platform to Solve the 1983 Murders of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour

dnasolves.com

 

[Mayjusticeprevail]

Regarding the symbol of the metal button, without a high resolution photo, it’s hard to tell if it’s intact or if part of the symbol is damaged (bent in over) or if part of it is missing. It looks like a serpent symbol.

After a long review through various books, perhaps it’s a button or part of a cufflink from a blazer or costume from a gnostic, thelemic or occult member?

Here’s a visual reference. More detail than the button had.

Link to source file

Were there any Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.) places of worship in Mississauga or Caledon in 1980?

Serpent symbols were used by Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). In the 70s there was activity, Gnostic Masses but it’s challenging to track down details. Small gatherings took place in private residences and occult book shops.
The only name I could find for Toronto, Ontario chapter of that time was Knox Om Pax Camp

 

[Rikissa]

The Ouroboros symbol, be it as a circle, or as the infinity symbol (as in this case), exists in many religions and mythologies, as well as among Gnostic orders.

The Ouroboros Across Different Religions and Mythologies: Norse Legends and Beyond

The Ouroboros—an ancient symbol showing a serpent devouring its own tail—has existed across cultures for centuries. While many might know it as a representation of cycles like life, death, and rebirth, in Norse mythology and Viking culture, it holds deeper layers of meaning. For those who revere...

odinstreasures.com

 

[Claroon]

They don't know if she made it to Square One. I was at Square One in the mid-80s and felt I was being followed by a man inside Walmart there. I feared for myself and sneakily let him exit and I ran the opposite direction. I wonder if she was picked up/taken by some creeper?

 

[Claroon]

The button could simply be a vintage 70s/80s silver toned button with no special meaning, popular everywhere during that era and on both men's and women's clothing. (Photo Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/opp-veronica-lynn-kaye-button-cold-case-1.4895510)

Given she said: a ride was waiting, it is most realistic that it was someone she knew and felt comfortable with.

 

[Richard]

The button looks like one from a uniform of some sort. Normally, brass buttons of this style would have a brass loop soldered or attached to the back.

They were either sewn to a coat or vest - or were simply pushed through a small reinfoeced hole and kept in place with a metal keeper. This latter method would allow removal of buttons for laundering or dry cleaning of the garment.

In this case, it appears that the loop became detached (broken) from the button's back.

 

[Claroon]

The button looks like one from a uniform of some sort. Normally, brass buttons of this style would have a brass loop soldered or attached to the back.

They were either sewn to a coat or vest - or were simply pushed through a small reinfoeced hole and kept in place with a metal keeper. This latter method would allow removal of buttons for laundering or dry cleaning of the garment.

In this case, it appears that the loop became detached (broken) from the button's back.

I could be from a uniform, but those are usually crests or insignias. If it were, that would be a clue. But, it may be simply decorative. Etsy is full of vintage metal buttons from the 70s & 80s. I do agree the loop is broken off the back. Perhaps our victim pulled it off in their fight.

 

[Claroon]

Some working hypotheses:

Was the perp:

• A known acquaintance, casual pickup during transit -- like a friend saw her standing at the bus stop?
• A slightly older contact (work/area), arranged ride -- like someone she met at her apartment building? Painter, etc. ?
• An opportunistic contact such as choosing to hitchhike rather than wait for the bus?
  
  Route:
• In 1980, no saying the bus route was this. Hypothesis, that the perp picked her up where she was waiting at a bus stop for the transfer.
  
  
  
  Vehicle Hypotheses: If indeed a van...
  
  
• Work van (trades/service) – painter, contractor, repair; common in 1980, mobile during daytime
• Personal/custom “shag” van – owned by younger male, used socially. These might have curtains and tinted windows.
• Borrowed/shared van – family or business vehicle used by someone else
• Vehicle type uncertain / misidentified – did anyone actually see it? Could have been a van or another type of vehicle
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[Claroon]

Questions:

Where did the assault happen?

• Close to the last seen location- photography store?
• Once up in the Caledon area

We don't know the route he took up to Caledon. He could have taken Hwy 10 which is the road Square one is on, or he could have taken Dixie Road back then, or another north bound option. (there was no Hwy 410 or 407 in the 80s)

If he took Hwy 10 toward Caledon, why did he jog so far East to dump her body where he did? I would think there would be many wooded areas on the way. What made that specific location the choice? Familiarity with that specific rural area?

• Prior travel through those sideroads?
• Or simply, continued driving until he felt comfortable stopping?

This map is not 80s accurate or a correct depiction of his route, it is just added to show how far to the east her body was placed.