Shivangi Sinha
In June 1982, Christine Prince, who had been out for the night with friends, did not return to the house where she worked as a nanny. Despite extensive investigation and search efforts, no leads emerged. In October 1983, Donna Awcock, also employed as a nanny, disappeared under similar circumstances. Both women were later found murdered, and their bodies were disposed of in similar manners. Their shared profession, location, and physical resemblances suggested the same perpetrator for both crimes.
In Freeform’s ‘Sasha Reid and the Midnight Order’ episode titled ‘I Think My Ex-Husband is a Serial Killer,’ an anonymous woman reaches out to The Midnight Order team suspecting her husband’s involvement in these crimes. The group assembles to reexamine these long-forgotten cases, aiming to bring peace to the victims’ families.
Christine Prince’s Friend Last Saw Her in a Streetcar
Christine Prince was born and raised in Wales and obtained her diploma in child care from Porthcawl College in 1976. Seeking to broaden her horizons and explore more of the world, she eagerly accepted a job as a nanny for Josie and Emile Kruzick in Toronto, Canada. After completing all formalities, she arrived in October 1981 and began caring for the Kruzicks’ three-year-old daughter, Nicole. Christine also built her social circle by befriending another nanny named Gloria Betts and developing a romantic relationship with David Curtis-Smith. She had plans to marry David by October 1982, but things did not unfold as she had hoped.
On the night of June 20, 1982, Christine and Gloria visited the Four Seasons Hotel, where David worked as a chef. Around 11:30 pm, the three left for a donut shop and departed after 1 am. Christine and Gloria then decided to take the subway and later a streetcar to return home. Gloria disembarked first, and Christine alighted from the streetcar but did not reach her employer’s residence. The following morning, her employers contacted the police to report her missing.
On the morning of June 22, the police received reports of a nude body found floating in the Rouge River near Sewells Rd. Bridge. The body was identified as 25-year-old Christine’s. Her umbrella was discovered on the route to her home, and her wallet was found beside a highway. Christine had been sexually assaulted, sustaining head injuries and abrasions on her head, face, and body, but her cause of death was determined to be drowning. This discovery led the police to conclude that they had a killer or killers at large, prompting a thorough investigation.
Donna Awcock Disappeared After Babysitting Her Neighbor’s Kids
Born on March 7, 1966, Donna Jean Awcock was the daughter of Donald Gene “Bud” Awcock and Carolyn Awcock. She grew up in a middle-class environment with her older sister, Tammy Dennett, leading a typical life in Ontario, Canada. Like any other child, Donna was always willing to lend a hand, full of hopes and dreams, and eager to bring happiness to those around her. On October 13, 1983, her neighbor, Michelle Maynard, asked her to babysit her children. It was something the 17-year-old had done before, earning a few bucks without much trouble. Her family could easily see her from their house while she was there, so it was no inconvenience.
Michelle had gone drinking with friends that night and returned around 2:30 am with a man she had met at the bar. She gave Donna some money and asked her to buy cigarettes. When Donna arrived at the store, she appeared upset and was crying, as the worker reported. She also requested to use the phone but was informed it was against store policy. Donna left with the cigarettes and made her way to Michelle’s house.
The next morning, Donna’s mother realized her daughter hadn’t returned home and immediately became concerned. She called Michelle, who explained that Donna had left shortly after receiving the money for cigarettes, but she didn’t know where she went. The police initially wanted to wait 24 hours before launching an investigation, so Donna’s family and friends began searching for her. On October 14, during their search, Donna’s body was discovered near the Fanshawe Dam. She was found without her pants, lying face down in the water. It was evident that she had been sexually assaulted, and the cause of her death was determined to be strangulation.
Police Have Hope of Finding Christine and Donna’s Killers
In both cases, there were no eyewitnesses to provide leads. Regarding Donna Awcock’s disappearance, both the police and her family suspect Michelle may know more than she disclosed. Despite assisting in creating a sketch of the man she brought home that night, it yielded little leads. DNA samples were collected from both crime scenes, but no matches were found in the existing databases despite multiple checks.
Given the similarities between the crimes—both women were subjected to similar attacks, their bodies were found in water bodies in abandoned areas, partially unclothed, and both were working as nannies—many speculate that the same person may have committed the crimes. The police were also able to conclude that both the women had been killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped somewhere else, suggesting that the killer(s) had a car, which they got by.
In the same time frame and geographic area, numerous crimes of a similar nature occurred, leading the police to suspect the involvement of either a serial killer or a group of serial killers. In Christine’s case, police investigated individuals like Paul Bernardo or Danny Wood as potential suspects in the killings. Similarly, in Donna’s case, various local killers and individuals close to her were scrutinized, but no arrests or charges have been made in connection with either case. The cases have not been closed and the police are waiting for helpful leads to make progress.
Read More: Barbara Nantais and Claire Hough: How Did They Die? Who Killed Them?
