Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the brutal murders of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice that took place in 1983. The episode, titled “Evil Walked Through The Door,” will reveal details about the gruesome crime and how two innocent women lost their lives. The episode would also shed light on why the authorities couldn’t catch the killer for almost four decades. It will air on the network on Friday, April 19, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
On August 17, 1983, authorities discovered the body of Susan Tice inside her house in Toronto. Police noted that the culprit sexually assaulted the victim before stabbing her multiple times, per CBC. Although an investigation was initiated, authorities couldn’t find a suspect. Then, in December 1983, police discovered the body of another woman named Erin Gilmour. CBC reported that the perpetrator sexually assaulted Gilmour before stabbing her to death in her bed.
The murder cases gained nationwide attention after Erin Gilmour’s death. Gilmour, an aspiring fashion designer, was the daughter of the mining giant David Gilmour. For decades, authorities kept trying to find a breakthrough in the case. Unfortunately, the cases remained unsolved for a long time. However, in 2008, authorities confirmed that one man was responsible for both slayings. Toronto Star reported that DNA technology helped them in getting a breakthrough.
It took the authorities almost 15 years to identify the murderer and make an arrest. Eventually, in November 2022, police apprehended a man named Joseph George Sutherland for the slayings of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice. Per Toronto Star, he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
How was Erin Gilmour’s killer, Joseph George Sutherland, caught?
Advancements in DNA technology helped authorities in finding Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice’s killer. According to the Toronto Star, police found DNA at both crime scenes. Afterward, they scanned through ancestry sites to identify the culprit via the DNA found at the scene. The publication also mentioned that the investigators were able to link the DNA to both cases in 2008. Moreover, they used genetic genealogy to prepare the suspect’s family tree.
Although investigators learned about Joseph George Sutherland’s family history, they couldn’t know anything about him because they didn’t have his DNA. As a result, they requested the court to grant them a DNA warrant on the culprit in November 2022, reported Toronto Star. The publication noted that Joseph confessed to the murders to one of his close friends and was subsequently apprehended by police.
According to CTV News, Joseph George Sutherland pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2023. After the hearing, Erin Gilmour’s brother mentioned that they finally achieved the closure they needed. He said, “It will never bring Erin back or Susan Tice, for that matter, but at the same time, it’s a little bit of closure for us and the rest of our family and Erin’s friends knowing that this guy’s being put away for hopefully a long time.”
Court sentenced Sutherland to life in prison
More than four decades later, in March 2024, the court sentenced Joseph George Sutherland to life in prison for the murders of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice. CBC reported that he would have a chance to get parole after serving 21 years of his sentence. After the sentencing, the family members of both the victims expressed that they feel safe now. Susan Tice’s daughter said, “There’s no closure. There’s no justice. And for me, I feel safe now.”
Joseph George Sutherland is currently behind bars now.
