14 ~ Sunday, January 25, 1998 — North Shore News 17 NV murders unsolved OLD murder inves- tigations are never forgotten. At the North Vancouver RCMP head- quarters, teams of investi- gators with the Homicide Project. Unit work on cases of long ago. “We work on all of them as side projects,” said Const. Lee Gregor, of the serious crime sec- tion. There are 17 unsolved murders in’ North Vancouver. About 10% of the dead were murdered elsewhere and their bod- ies Icft in wooded areas of North Vancouver. The ability to obtain DNA evidence in Canada has renewed the chances of solving some of the murders. Gregor declined to say how many unsolved murders were suitable for DNA testing. Gregor said that in addition to DNA testing, forensic lab services have improved — dramatically over the vears. She said computer data banks with profile information of suspects and victims (including reported missing people) help police. For example, bones discovered last year on the North Shore turned out to belong to a woman reported missing from Vancouver. The woman's profile was on a data bank. Analysis of the woman's bones indicated that she was murdered. Gregor said that in years past, police learned how ro conduct i investiga- tions from officers they worked with. Nowadays, that still applies, but there is more formal instruction too. Anna Marie D'Angelo From page 1 Sister Rose turned over the lifeless and nude body. She saw blood running 1cQuiea’s bruised mouth. Sister Rose and other nuns of the Convent of The Child Jesus washed the body to pre- pare it for a dignitied burial. The nuns also tidied up LeQuica’s room. They did not know that a man had sexually assaulted and strangled the elderly TeQuiea just a few hours before. LeQuiea was killed on Dec. 16, 1973. No one has been charged with the mur- der, although police still believe that someone out there knows what happened. The murder investigation was stymied from the start. “It was well meaning and inadvertent, bur the crime scene was badly disturbed,” said Const. Lee Gregor, of the North Vancouver RCMP's serious crime section. Gregor is currently in charge of the LeQuica murder investigation. She works with other Mounties on murder investigations still open in North Vancouver that date back to the 1960s. Back in 1973, LeQuiea’s physician, Dr. Morris suspect- ed that something beyond the natural death of an elderly patient had occurred after questioning the nuns at the convent. Morris called the police. An autopsy was per- formed. By that time, the crime scene was even more dis- curbed. LeQuica’s family had gone through the woman's possessions at the convent. LeQuica had two daughters. Since 1973, several men have been viewed as suspects in the murder investigation. All have done similar type of things to women in nursing homes. All of the men have been cleared of any involve- ment in LeQuica’s murder. 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LeQuica was 45 kgs (100 Ibs) and 1.52 m (3 fect). Const. Gregor said if LeQuica had put up a fight, it would have been hard to tell. The night before LeQuiea was) murdered, she was described as being in fine spir- its. One of the nuns came to see LeQuiea at 9:30 p.m. LeQuica was sitting up in her bed and dressed in a pink nightie. The nun counted LeQuica’s few dollars for her. LeQuiea asked the nun if she would wrap some Christmas presents and write some cards for her. LeQuiea was last seen alive at 10 p.m. Her bady was dis- covered at 8:20 a.m. Sometime berween 10 pm, and 20 a.m, Betty Leonard heard the sound of glass breaking in the convent. At 3 am., Sister Dolores heard footsteps in the hall and attic. At 3:30.a.m. on the morn- AYLORMO ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS | B.C.A.A. ~ARAA. - 1.C.B.C. Approved M Very latest Hunter computer four wheel alignment m machine. 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He asked how he could get our. The nun gave the stranger street directions. — Sister Juiiana did not call the police. Sister Juliana said the man was in his carly 20s with shoulder-length untidy hair and beard. He would be in his late 40s or 50s today. Other nuns reported hear- ing glass breaking late in the night, but no one did any- thing about it. On the morn- ing LeQuica’s body was dis- covered, Sister Gillis noticed that a small window on a door at the convent had been bro- ken. The door was slightly ajar. The door was near where Sister Juliana had confronted the stranger seven hours carli- er. LeQuiea’s room or “cell,” as it is called, was located on the second floor.. She was found dead on her bed. Her pillows were on a directs murder suspect THIS composite draw- ing is of a stranger found in the convent on the murder day. chair. Her purse and empty change purse on the floor. Her nightie was found in a laundry tub outside her room. A coroner's report indicat- ed death by strangulation. Although no semen was found on the body, the autop- sv stated there were indiva- tions of sexually assault. As with ali murder investi- gations, police are withhold- ing information that only the killer would know about. tc has been 24 years since LeQuica was killed in the con- vent. The nun who confront- ed the man, Sister Juliana, has since died. Const. Gregor said she couldn't estimate the chances of this case being solved. “All che files remain open until they are either cleared or charges laid. They are never, ever closed,” said Gregor. Extravagant y hd Practical | hed THE 1998 INFINITI QX4 Considered one of the best luxury-utility 4wd vehicles on the road. REGENCY INFINITI “Your DOWNTOWN DEALER 1768 Burrard at 2nd Ave 739-7811 1235 Marine Dr. North Vancouver 280- 2464 ] |