On December 11th, 2025 Toronto Police announced they had solved the murders of three women who were murdered between the years 1982 and 1997 linking them to the same suspect through DNA. Police in Toronto, Canada confirmed all three were the victims of Kenneth Smith who police have named as a newly identified serial killer. Police have known since 2017 that the three were killed by the same suspect but it was not confirmed till recently who the murderer was.
Christine Prince:
On June 21st, 1982 Prince was out with friends in Toronto during the night of the 21st. She later boarded a street car on St. Clair Avenue with the street car dropping her off near her employer’s address located on Pinewood Avenue sometime after 1:10 AM. The street car also marked the last time she was seen alive.
Prince is believed to have been attacked by Smith after arriving on Pinewood Avenue after getting off the street car. The next morning on June 22nd at around 7:15 AM her body was discovered near the Rouge River with the location being in full view of passing cars on Sewells Road. Her cause of death was reported to be drowning by authorities. Her umbrella during the investigation was discovered on Pinewood Avenue.
Claire Samson:
On September 1st, 1983, Claire Samson was last seen by witnesses entering a beige colored car driven by a older white male with either gray or thinning hair in front of the Essex hotel on Jarvis Street in Toronto. The next day Samson was discovered in a wooded area near Highway 93 in Oro-Medonte Township, Ontario, Canada more than 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) North of Toronto having been shot twice.
Gracelyn Greenidge:
On July 28th 1997 Gracelyn Greenidge a nursing assistant was last seen alive leaving a senior’s home at around 11:00/11:30 PM. She last spoke over the phone with a friend shortly before she was murdered by Smith. On July 30th after she failed to show up for work her coworkers came to her home to check on her with them finding her body located in her Driftwood Avenue apartment. The cause of death in her case was blunt force trauma.
The case had a $100,000 reward with a witness in 1999 being a massive clue. A witness who saw Greenidge prior to her death reported that she had been seen with an unidentified man in the weeks before her death. The man had a mustache, a mole on his right cheek and most times was seen wearing a baseball cap.
Investigation:
The police over the years had very few breaks in the cases, though they had pulled DNA from each crime scene. A break came in 2016 when it was discovered a DNA profile from Claire Samson's case matched an unknown offender from Christine Prince's case. A year later in 2017 they were able to also link Gracelyn Greenidge’s case to the other two cases meaning police were looking for the same suspect in all three cases.
Since 2022 the police partnered with the DNA company Othram who were helping to investigate the three cases. In 2025 police were able to link the DNA to Smith by comparing it to a living relative of his who helped them to further the case and narrow down Smith as the perpetrator of the crimes. On December 3rd DNA testing conclusively confirmed Smith was responsible for all three murders that had occurred. None of the three had any connection to one another except Smith’s DNA with police suspecting each was a crime of opportunity.
Smith had a criminal history with him being incarcerated once for sexual offenses prior to the first two murders, and then two times before the third murder. Prior to the DNA testing Smith was never investigated in any of the cases but was known to police due to his previous history of incarceration. He also lived and worked in the Toronto area during the murders.
He died in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 2019 at the age of 72 and had moved there in 2013. Investigators in Toronto announced they suspect Smith to possibly be responsible for more murders and have begun to look into other cases with possible links to him. They have requested those with information and who knew Smith to come forward. During the press conference Toronto Detective, Sergeant Steve Smith said "Based on the evidence we have today we believe it is possible that there may be additional victims who have never been identified.” (CBS)
Source:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tps-update-historical-homicides-9.7012021
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-cold-case-cops-id-serial-killer-three-women
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/toronto-police-id-killer-3-181035234.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/serial-killer-linked-womens-cold-case-murders-toronto/
https://globalnews.ca/news/11573715/toronto-police-cold-case-deaths-serial-killer/
https://calgary.citynews.ca/2025/12/11/toronto-police-opp-cold-case-homicides-update/
The timeline of this investigation is as follows
Pre 1982: Smith is in jail for a crime he committed
Edit: 1975 arrested for kidnapping a 14 year old
June 1982: Christine Prince is out on the town on the 21st and murdered by Smith. She is discovered the next day.
September 1983: Claire Samson is last seen getting into a car on the 1st and is discovered on the 2nd.
1983-1997: Smith is jailed for separate offenses
July 1997: Gracelyn Greenidge is last seen leaving the retirement home on the 28th and is discovered on the 30th
1999: The witness reports the tip on Gracelyn’s case involving the baseball cap man
2016: Investigators link Samson and Prince’s cases
2017: Investigators link all three cases using DNA
2019: Smith dies
2022: Toronto police partner with Othram
December 2025: Police announce Kenneth Smith as responsible for all three murders
Thanks for the timeline. It really helps to see things laid out this way.
I always try to make sure I put a timeline when discussing cases that are solved to help those who are confused understand the timeline of events.
I feel it also helps to simplify the way things occurred.
Thanks for this! Do we know what he was jailed for?
One of the three charges was for kidnapping a 14 year old girl in 1975. The other two I’d have to assume were also for violent offenses.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-toronto-police-cold-case-murders-three-women-suspect-kenneth-smith/#:~:text=%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20wrote.-,Mr.,unsolved%20cases%20in%20those%20areas.
Wow, so he was a piece of shit for decades. It sucks that they were so close to probably identifying him and he ended up passing away before they finally did.
Why are they so slow on linking the deaths. Its so annoying they did this to Lynda Shaws death too
There are definitely more.
What’s scary is this monster had no modus operandi, only thing was opportunity.
Gracelyn was 41, and both Christine Prince and Claire Samson were in their 20’s (25/23).
Only similarity was all the crimes happened in Toronto. I also feel a 14 year gap between killings is weird but likely due to incarciation. When he murdered Gracelyn in 1997 he would have been 49/50.
In the cases of both Christine and Claire he’d be between the ages of (34/36).
He was 72 when he died in 2019.
Exactly what I thought. I think they may next just start figuring where he was living throughout his life and check for missing/murdered women?
They know he was living in the Toronto area when all three murders took place for work. I tried to find other information about him but all I could find out was his three arrests, and that he lived in Toronto and died in 2019.
He was never on police radar for the murders but had a reputation with the police for his three arrests.
Yeah. Thanks for spreading this, OP!
'1983-1997: Smith is jailed for separate offenses.'
Incarcerated for a sixteen year period for violent crimes, and started killing again as soon as he got out.
Could the age of targeted victims have changed as he himself got older?
Was he in jail the entire time 1983-1997?
Articles mentioned Smith served two separate sentences between 1983 and 1997 for separate crimes.
I have been unable to find an arrest record but it is possible though I am not sure as none of the articles I read about him specified a length.
Edit: Just found out his first arrest was in 1975 for kidnapping a 14 year old.
I agree totally. He didn't stop
I was looking into the case of Delia Adriano that someone else mentioned here and thinks could be linked to Smith. I saw an article about Delia’s case where one officer thought who was responsible for her death was a serial killer and responsible for a lot of others and the list included the following:
Lynne Harper, 12, from Vanastra. Her 1959 murder saw Steven Truscott wrongly convicted.
Lynda White, 19, went missing from London in 1968. Her remains were found in Norfolk County in 1973.
Jacqueline English, 15, went missing from London in 1969. Her body was found near Tilsonburg.
Pauline Ivy Dudley, 17, from Oakville, was killed in 1973.
Christine Prince, from Toronto, was killed in 1982. Her body was found floating in Toronto’s Rouge River.
Leah Sousa, 13, from Cumberland Beach, was killed in 1992. Her body was found in her back yard.
Valerie Stevens, 19, from Toronto, murdered in 1992. Her body was found in Burford.
Cindy Hallaway, 17, last seen in Midland, was murdered in 1992. Her body was found near Phelpston.
It listed Christine Prince who we now know is linked to Smith so I wonder if he’s tied to anyone else from this list. Smith was born in 1947 so he could’ve easily committed any crime dating back to 1968 (aged 21+).
Great post. Thank you!
I was struck by the fairly large area over which Smith committed these three murders: mid-town, downtown east end, northern suburbs. It would be interesting to know where he was living at the time that he killed these women. If these were crimes of opportunity (e.g., women walking late at night close to Smith's home), the police might find it helpful to know his housing history in relation to other unsolved murders in Toronto and surrounding area.
The police during the press conference found no links between the three victims. Police seemed to believe that it was crimes of opportunity, though in Gracelyn’s case if the 1999 tip about the baseball cap man is indeed Smith than it is possible that is how he gained access to the apartment because he knew her.
He does have the mole so its a good chance it was him
There are definitely more. Seeing how he killed these three in such different ways will make it harder to link others.
He 100% has earlier victims, just looked up an article and found out his first arrest was in 1975 for kidnapping a 14 year old.
It’s always so crazy to me how many people were arrested for kidnapping or assaulting teenagers in the 60s and 70s, served short sentences, and later went on to become serial killers.
Well I guess the witness was right as it certainly looks like a mole on Smith’s right cheek.
With that being the case it is likely he knew Gracelyn then
He’s so random in his killings, i think unless he left dna at every scene, it would be hard to ID potential other killings to him
Yeah without the DNA, these never get solved.
With a name as common as Kenneth Smith, he’s definitely going to need to be referred to with his serial killer middle name
That would be Leslie.
I would bet he is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Delia Adriano in Oakville. September 1982. The cops should check that one out.
You could try submitting a tip btw: I found this on a page about Delia’s case that said Anyone with information can contact Det. Phil Campbell at 905-465-8736 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Also, through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca or by texting "Tip 201" with your message to 274637 (crimes).
You might be onto something because I was looking into the case of Delia Adriano and I saw that one officer thought who was responsible for her death was a serial killer and responsible for a lot of others and the list included Christine Prince (1982 case)
https://canadiancrimeopedia.com/adriano-delia/
The thing is tho the suspect is said to have brown hair feathered back to the neck (and composite sketch shows full set of hair) whereas Smith has a receding hair line (as seen in an older photo) and even in the 1982 case was said to have thinning hair. He could’ve easily worn a wig or something to hide it however that would be different in this case but he’s also known for changing things up
There are definitely more…
I have perhaps a silly question - why was the DNA linked to a relative of Smith rather than immediately being linked to Smith, who had previously been incarcerated for sexual offences? Would they not have his DNA on file? I’m surprised they didn’t get a match after having DNA from the first murder.
I should have clarified better, the DNA sample was from Smith but the database came up with a living relative due to them being a familial Match. They compared to the two DNA samples which led to Smith being named as the suspect.
“Earlier this year, investigators identified familial relatives of the offender, and from there were able to home in conclusively on Mr. Smith as the killer in all three cases.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-toronto-police-cold-case-murders-three-women-suspect-kenneth-smith/
Thank you! I think I worded my question confusingly. I’m wondering why the original DNA from the women did not immediately get matched to Smith’s DNA in the database? I assume if he was previously incarcerated they would have his DNA on file rather than having to get a familial match and then figure out it was him afterwards?
That is something I am wondering as well, my best guess is that his DNA was probably lost or not on file nation wide as his first arrest was 1975 which was years before CODIS was created in 1990. His earliest crime was also before the Internet so it would be difficult to track.
Ah yes that makes sense actually with the dates!
I wonder the same. I guess depending when his arrests were from 83-97 and what they were for, a sample may not have been collected...not sure when that started exactly. And if it was, might not have been entered into the system. That seems to happen unfortunately.
Great work pulling all this together, OP. The timeline and extensive links are especially appreciated. Awesome job!
No mercy for sex criminals. Recidivism rate is sky high and most cannot be reformed.
Letting them out ever is playing Russian roulette with innocents 😥 Shame on our justice systems for being soft on sex offenders.
Agree. So many cases where if the perpetrator was sentenced appropriately the first time or if at all, they wouldn’t have had the chance to create more victims.
I've always read the opposite, that recidivism rates were lower for sex crimes? But also there is a wide range of what constitutes a sex crime so it varies.
I never want to profile anyone or judge a book by its cover but DAMN that dude looked like a serial killer! Very mean, cold eyes. I hope that they can swiftly identify any other poor souls that this guy killed and provide some answers for their families.
I'm always skeptical when murders are not linked by investigators because the murder methods aren't the same. As though every serial killer is always going to do exactly the same thing, every time.
DNA has solved a lot of murders that would have never been linked otherwise.
I was looking into the case of Delia Adriano that someone else mentioned here and I saw that one officer thought who was responsible for her death was a serial killer and responsible for a lot of others and the list included the following:
Lynne Harper, 12, from Vanastra. Her 1959 murder saw Steven Truscott wrongly convicted.
Lynda White, 19, went missing from London in 1968. Her remains were found in Norfolk County in 1973.
Jacqueline English, 15, went missing from London in 1969. Her body was found near Tilsonburg.
Pauline Ivy Dudley, 17, from Oakville, was killed in 1973.
Christine Prince, from Toronto, was killed in 1982. Her body was found floating in Toronto’s Rouge River.
Leah Sousa, 13, from Cumberland Beach, was killed in 1992. Her body was found in her back yard.
Valerie Stevens, 19, from Toronto, murdered in 1992. Her body was found in Burford.
Cindy Hallaway, 17, last seen in Midland, was murdered in 1992. Her body was found near Phelpston.
It listed Christine Prince who we now know is linked to Smith so I wonder if he’s tied to anyone else from this list
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=2604dfon
He could be a good suspect for Alison Thomas. Timeline, location and late at night.
I think there’s a chance he’s connected to Deborah Silverman, murdered in 1978.
This case fits one the off and on patterns with his crimes; kidnapping a victim and driving them long distances to murder/conceal them.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4647344/40-year-old-homicide-deborah-silverman/
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Absolutely, I feel that both of these cases are connected too.
Information about Kenneth Smith's previous crimes and periods of incarceration:
"In 1976, when he was 30, Mr. Smith was convicted of raping and kidnapping a 14-year-old girl from Barrie, Ont., according to an archived newspaper clipping that The Globe unearthed and confirmed with police.
[…]
Mr. Smith went to prison for the Barrie rape, Det. Sgt. Smith said, where he remained until 1981, when he was released on parole in York Region.
[…]
The next known offence Mr. Smith committed was in 1985, when he was convicted in York Region for weapons offences and sentenced to two years in custody, the detective said.
In 1987, after his release, he was convicted of weapons charges again – this time in Toronto – and was sentenced to seven years in custody. He was released from prison in 1994.
In both these cases, Det. Sgt. Smith said, charges related to sexual offences were withdrawn as part of plea agreements."
Source
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-killer-linked-womens-cold-case-murders-toronto/
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/3-cold-case-killings-women-toronto-linked-man-128323216
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Canada's Levi Bellfield?
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In their defence, this seems like a completely random series of killings. He has no connections to the victims, and there are no connections between the victims. It seems like he just killed when the opportunity presented itself. Random crime is almost impossible to solve without a lucky break.
He killed 3 women in 3 separate ways and all 3 had different ages and looks
👍
Weird to have all different causes of death and body locations where he’s leaving one but moving another. And diff races and age groups. Wonder if he had an accomplice or maybe didn’t do all 3.
He more than 100% did these three cases, the DNA from the crime scenes 100% connects to him. Police also made it clear had he been alive they would have charged him with three homicide charges one for each case.
“If Smith were still alive, he would have faced three counts of murder. Investigators continue to review his past to determine whether additional victims may exist, and the Toronto Police Service encourages anyone with information related to Smith to contact police.”
Source: https://dnasolves.com/articles/toronto-gracelynn-greenidge/
They also suspect the crimes were based on opportunity and not to planned out.