Crime Stoppers Niagara is appealing for the public's help in solving four killings in different parts of the region.
In an unprecedented release from the program, Crime Stoppers said its board of directors strongly believe media attention could lead to people stepping forward to provide details in the cold case investigations.
"There is no suggestion these cases are connected. Each homicide is unique and the motives are different. Evidence indicates different individuals are responsible for the killings and nothing has ever been uncovered to link the victims," said the statement.
"Homicide investigators with Niagara Regional Police have already amassed a great amount of information on these cases, including forensic evidence, but there are still gaps that prevent detectives from making arrests."
Below is a breakdown of the cases that Crime Stoppers are looking for information about:
Frank Perry was alone when attacked with a blunt instrument sometime through the night and his body discovered by a friend shortly after 9 a.m. on August 27, 1992. A cash box containing money and jewellery was missing and investigators have determined robbery was the motive for the killing.
Detectives have been able to track the victim’s movement to approximately 10 p.m. on August 26, 1992 and would like to speak with anyone who saw him later that night.
The married father of five children was a retired City of Niagara Falls employee, but through the years had been involved in the illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco products as well as smuggling contraband from the United States into Canada.
Joseph Marsala was known to frequent the former AA Auto Wreckers on Kalar Road, about a mile from where his body was discovered just after 1 a.m. on Friday, November 3, 1995. The victim had been shot multiple times and an abandoned white Oldsmobile with Ontario licence plate 877 XPP was located nearby. The victim was known to be involved in the drug trade and had numerous associates.
Detectives have been able to trace Marsala’s movements up to 11:30 p.m. but there’s a 90 minute gap to the time of the murder that remains unknown. Investigators are hoping someone can provide details and identify individuals who were with Marsala during that time.
They are also seeking details regarding the occupants of two vehicles which sped south on Kalar Road and west on Brown Road moments after the shooting.
John Horvath, a retired shop teacher from E. L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill, was found January 5, 1999 at the bottom of a stairway leading to the basement of his residence. Forensic evidence revealed the victim was assaulted by intruders who had broken into his home in the mid-block of Norway Avenue, between First Avenue and Lillias Street.
Detectives learned the 75-year-old victim had spent the Christmas holiday with his daughter in Thunder Bay, and returned to his Welland home a few days later. It is believed that Horvath, who lived alone, confronted intruder(s) after interrupting a break and enter at his residence. During the incident Horvath received injuries that caused his death.
Several investigators who have looked into this murder through the years are convinced there are people who know who is responsible for the homicide, but have not been in a position to make an arrest.
It is believed Horvath was attacked about 48 hours before his body was found by a neighbour. Friends described the victim as a kind, gentle man of faith who was respected in the community. He didn’t deserve to die in such a savage and senseless way.
Nadine Gurczenski, the fourth victim of this appeal, a young mother discovered dead on Saturday, May 8, 1999 in a roadside ditch in farm country on the escarpment, almost three miles south of Vineland. Her partially clad body was spotted by cyclists on the isolated stretch of Victoria Avenue, between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue.
Gurczenski was last seen two days earlier with a man as she left a Mississauga strip club where she was employed as an exotic dancer. Investigators have never revealed how she was killed, but did confirm the death as a homicide. Her body was left about 24 hours before being found but it took another two weeks to identify the victim. Investigators learned she came to Canada from Jamaica in 1992 and had lived in Toronto for a couple of years after separating from her husband.
These cases have remained unsolved for too long and there are people who have information that could help police identify those who are responsible.
Crime Stoppers is making this appeal and urging anyone who can assist police with any of these slayings to call the tip line immediately at 1-800-222-8477.
