Arthur Walkely was the first to lose his life.
Six more men would follow him, chillingly similar, all still unsolved.
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Between 1975 and 1978, 14 gay men were brutally murdered. But while the pattern might suggest a serial killer, cops say the slayings are not connected.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1975, Walkely — a 52-year-old part-time lecturer at the University of Toronto — had been out drinking with a friend at Quest, a Yonge St. gay bar. Detectives believe he left the bar alone and took a taxi home.
Police were called from a payphone around 3:43 a.m. by a man who reported an incident at 286 Borden St. When cops arrived, the door was locked and all seemed quiet.
The owner of the house arrived shortly after and discovered Walkley naked and stabbed nine times in a frenzy of violence. He died shortly afterwards in hospital.
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One of the owner’s credit cards had been stolen and used in Moncton by a man in his 20s. Detectives pursued the lead but came up empty. The murder weapon was also never found.
Walkely’s is just one of several dozen unsolved murders in Toronto for the month of February. Since 1959, there have been more than 700 unsolved homicides in Toronto.
Sadly, some are lost to the ages, while others are very much in play due to a quantum leap in forensic science. In the past three years, cold case detectives have cleared two of the most vexing unsolved cases: Christine Jessop and the 1983 murders of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour.
James Taylor, a 41-year-old house painter, was also gay. On Feb. 11, 1976, he was battered to death with a baseball bat at his home at 85 Collier St. According to cops, shortly before the murder, a pick-up truck was seen at the home.
In a bitter twist for the Taylor family, four years later, the victim’s brother, Claire, was beaten to death with a hammer. However, his killer was quickly apprehended.
Around 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 18, 1993, Suckju Ryu, 56, was working behind the counter of his North York tuck shop at 11 Arleta Ave.
According to detectives, two young males entered the store intending to rob Ryu. But things went off the rails and they shot the dedicated family man. His killers were last seen fleeing the scene.
“It’s our belief the young males that committed this heinous murder were residents of the area,” Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith, of Toronto’s cold case squad, said in 2021. “Mr. Ryu was a hard-working family man and shot in cold blood over a few dollars in merchandise.”
“While these are all dated homicides, each one is personal in nature,” Smith told The Toronto Sun.
“It would appear that Walkely and Taylor knew their attackers and had allowed them into their homes. Ryu was murdered trying to make a living supporting his family.”
He added: With all this time that has past, anyone with information that might have had a change in circumstances is asked to reach out to the homicide and missing person unit.”
If you have any information regarding any of these unsolved murders, contact homicide at 416-808-7400, or at homicide@torontopolice.on.ca or Crime Stoppers at 416−222−TIPS (8477).
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun