Crime Immemorial

In the summer and fall of 1995, British Columbia, Canada’s Fraser Valley became the grim backdrop for a series of unsolved homicides that claimed the lives of three women: Tracy Olajide, Tammy Lee Pipe, and Victoria Lynn Younker. These cases, collectively referred to as the “Hemlock Valley Murders,” remain among Canada’s most haunting cold cases, marked by disturbing similarities and a persistent absence of justice.

Tracy Olajide, a 30-year-old African-Canadian woman, was last seen on August 10, 1995, near the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Despite efforts to leave sex work, she continued to struggle with addiction, which kept her connected to the area. Two days later, her nude body was discovered on a trail near Morris Valley logging road, close to Agassiz, British Columbia. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Tracy was a mother to one child.

Tammy Pipe, a 24-year-old Indigenous woman, was last seen on August 29, 1995, at the Cobalt Hotel on Main Street in Vancouver. She worked in the sex trade to support her cocaine habit and aspired to be a dancer. On September 2, her nude body was found in the middle of a remote side road north of Lougheed Highway #7, leading to the Mount Woodside hang-glider launch area. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Victoria Younker, 35, was last seen on September 11, 1995, at a Ministry office on Hastings Street in Vancouver. She struggled with drug addiction and engaged in sex work and petty thefts to support her habit. Her nude and partially decomposed body was discovered on October 21, 1995, about 25 feet down an embankment off a dead-end logging road on Sylvester Road near Mission, British Columbia. She had been strangled.

The three victims shared several commonalities: all were women involved in sex work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, struggled with drug addiction, and were found nude, sexually assaulted, and strangled in remote areas of the Fraser Valley. The proximity of the body disposal sites and the similarities in the modus operandi led investigators to believe the murders were connected and possibly the work of a serial killer.

Investigators theorized that the killer was familiar with the area, possibly a logger, fisherman, hunter, or someone associated with a nearby work release program. Evidence suggested the use of a red 4×4 vehicle, as flecks of red paint were found at one of the crime scenes. Additionally, yellow flecks, possibly from weathered rain gear, were discovered, indicating the killer might have used such material to wrap the victims’ bodies.

A local roofer with a history of sexual assaults, Ronald Richard McCauley, was considered a prime suspect; however, DNA tests cleared him in 2001. Notably, serial killer Robert “Willy” Pickton was also ruled out through DNA evidence. Authorities possess a DNA sample from the killer, but no matches have been found to date.

Despite the passage of time, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) continues to seek information related to these cases. They urge anyone with knowledge about the murders to come forward, emphasizing that even seemingly insignificant details could be crucial to solving these crimes.