On December 11, 2025, Toronto Police and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) made a shocking announcement: Kenneth Leslie Smith, a man already buried since 2019, was the serial killer responsible for three brutal murders from 1982 to 1997. Smith, a convicted sex offender and repeat prisoner for sexual assaults, would have been 72 today. If alive, he faced murder charges for random, violent attacks that terrorized the city. Thanks to DNA advancements, his identity and crimes are now exposed—even if legal justice is impossible.
Detective Sergeant Steve Smith of Toronto’s cold case unit described the killer as a “sex-obsessed predator” who exploited vulnerable women. Born in rural South Porcupine, Ontario, Smith moved to Toronto, where he blended into the city’s chaos while committing his crimes. After years in prison, he disappeared to Windsor in 2013, evading suspicion—until forensic progress unveiled his past. “Three murders mean a serial killer,” the detective emphasized, “and that man was Kenneth Smith.”
The breakthrough relied on advanced DNA techniques. Traces from the crime scenes were once useless: degraded, mixed with others, and hard to analyze. In 2017, investigators connected two cases but struggled with the third. Phenotyping (predicting offender traits from DNA) helped narrow the search. Then, a sample was sent to a cutting-edge Texas lab. By 2025, their tools identified Smith’s family tree and linked his remains to all three crimes. “This wasn’t luck—it was persistence and science,” the detective said, noting that such technology now solves hundreds of cold cases globally.
The victims left behind heartbreaking stories:
- Christine Prince: A 25-year-old immigrant from Wales, working as a nanny in Toronto. She was last seen June 20, 1982, walking near Wychwood Avenue after a party. Her body was found two days later in a river, with her ID nearby. “She was taken without mercy,” the detective said.
- Claire Samson: A 23-year-old woman disappeared on September 1, 1983, after getting into a beige car during a hailstorm. A few days later, her body was found in Barrie, Ontario; she had been shot in the head.
- Gracelyn Greenidge: A 41-year-old nurse from the Bahamas who worked downtown. She was killed July 28, 1997, at her apartment, sexually assaulted before being shot. Investigators are unsure how she let the killer in.
No obvious links connected the victims—only Smith’s DNA. “He planned nothing,” the detective explained. “The women were random targets in a city where no one was safe.”
For the families, the truth brings a hollow victory. “Smith’s death means he’ll never face trial,” a police official admitted. Yet the case proves that no crime is truly forgotten. Authorities urge new tips, as they suspect more victims remain hidden. As Detective Smith concluded, “Every cold case is now solvable. This is a warning to others hiding in the dark.”
Science has silenced a ghost, but the memory of Christine, Claire, and Gracelyn will echo in Toronto’s quest for justice—a reminder that the past, no matter how buried, will one day be uncovered.
Reference: Toronto Sun
