In the files of the Toronto Sun, there is nary a mention of Lilliane Lyle Ford.
There are very few traces of her elsewhere for that matter. Cops offer a terse 199 words that are the summation of the 42-year-old woman’s time on this rock.
Ford’s appearance on the Toronto Police homicide page offers little flesh. She is one of the murder victims of September.
In her case, she was victim #0391990.
On Sept. 9, 1990, a couple walking their dog found her body around 7:30 a.m. in Crombie Park at the Esplanade and Sherbourne St. Her clothes were dishevelled and the pants she was wearing were pulled down.
An autopsy revealed that Ford — originally from the U.S. — had been strangled to death. She had suffered bite marks in the attack and had been sexually assaulted.
It had been a hard slide for Ford.
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“She was separated and had developed an alcohol addiction,” Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith, of the cold case unit, told the Sun. “She had an apartment, but more often than not lived in women’s shelters.”
And she embarked on the perilous journey as a sex worker.
Smith added: “DNA was developed but at the time, it was insufficient. In fact, there were multiple DNAs from the bite marks and from semen.”
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Edward Tombs had seen a lot in his long life. Born in 1872, he had lived through the transition from horse and buggy to the automobile, two world wars, a worldwide depression and countless other calamities.
On Thursday, Sept. 17, 1964, around 5:15 p.m., cops responded to an emergency call on Campbell Ave., near Wallace Ave. Inside, the 86-year-old Tombs was discovered deceased. He died from blunt force trauma.
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He went into the books as 0121964.
“Mr. Tombs was an elderly, vulnerable member of the Toronto community,” Smith said. “Someone broke the sanctity of this man’s home and took his life. This was a deplorable act of violence.”
After 58 years, the brutal slaying of Edward Tombs remains unsolved.
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Cops have never believed that Kiesingar Gunn, 26, was targeted for death. On Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, around 4:04 a.m., cops were called to a shooting at Liberty St. and Mowart Ave.
Gunn was in the area after a night out with pals and was struck by stray bullets. He later died in hospital.
He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Detectives have released a security video of the horrific crime along with a description of the killer.
“It is believed there were many witnesses to the shooting and that someone in the community knows the identity of the offender,” Smith said.
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The suspected killer is described as 18-22 years old, black, about 6-foot, with a slim build and braided hair, possibly in cornrows. He was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with a black print or logo on it.
“All of these investigations involve shocking violence,” Smith said. “We are hoping to jog someone’s memory as to events they may have been privy to. All of these Toronto residents deserve closure to their cases.”
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Toronto Police homicide unit at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477).
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
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