Cops Solve Murder Case 33 Years Later
Posted March 18, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a case that seemed like it would never be solved. But now Durham Regional Police believe they have finally put the pieces of the puzzle together in one of their most baffling murder mysteries – the killing of 22-year-old Beverly Lynn Smith.
They’ve arrested the woman’s now 56-year-old former neighbour and charged him in the terrible crime.
It was December 9, 1974 when authorities were called to the Oshawa home of the new mother of a 10-month old baby. When they arrived, they discovered the woman dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. The little girl was in her crib unharmed and a motive was never established.
Now, more than three decades later, dedicated detectives say they’ve finally found the answers and the evidence they’ve been searching for all this time. They arrested a man named Alan Smith, who’s not related to the victim, and charged him with second-degree murder.
The lesser charge would appear to indicate police didn’t find any evidence the crime was premeditated.
Smith now lives in Cobourg but once resided next door to the victim and was known to the family. Police have yet to say what the motive for the crime may have been and we may not know for a bit.
Durham Police tell CityNews.ca the two lead detectives on this case had been up for the past 48 hours putting the finishing touches on their case so they could arrest the suspect. They’ve since gone home to get some badly needed rest. Smith appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded into custody.
How did cops crack this coldest of cold cases? Spokesman Dave Selby calls it a ‘combination of good old fashioned police work,’ and credits the media with helping change the outcome. Last month, t he victim’s relatives came forward and issued a tearful plea for assistance.
Among them: the infant who was found in her crib as her mother lay dead in the next room. “I know that you were young at the time and I’m sure you regret your actions that night,” Rebecca Smith cried as she ‘spoke’ to the killer on February 4th. “You may have your own family that you’re trying to protect from all this. But it has been on your conscience for a long time and these detectives have made it pretty clear that they’re not going away anywhere.”
The story generated great coverage, including on CityNews.ca, and cops say that led to new tips and helped them decide who to re-interview. That, in turn, brought them to their suspect who was arrested at his home on Monday without incident.
To see a gallery of the late woman’s all-too brief life and times, click here.
Have a look at the crime scene here.
