Dateline returns with an in-depth look at the separate murders of two women in Toronto, Canada, and the four-decade investigation that brought their killer to justice.
In the episode “Evil Walked Through the Door,” airing on NBC on Friday, April 19, Josh Mankiewicz reports on the shocking murders of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice, which took place four decades ago. Gilmour, just 22 years old, was found dead in her apartment in December 1983, with Det. Andrew Doyle describing the scene as having “blood everywhere.” Tice, a 45-year-old mother of four, was killed in August of the same year.
The episode follows the diligent work of detectives as they piece together the case, taking them from the big city of Toronto to a remote, northern town. It highlights the combination of old-fashioned detective work and modern breakthroughs in genetic genealogy that ultimately led to the arrest of the surprising killer.
The separate murders of Gilmour and Tice sparked an investigation that spanned four decades. Initially, the cases were investigated separately, but in 2000, advancements in DNA technology allowed police to link the two murders. However, no suspect was identified at that time.
It wasn’t until 2021 that investigators, inspired by the Golden State Killer case, utilized genetic genealogy to generate new leads. This led them to a family in Northern Ontario and narrowed down the suspect pool to five brothers. Undercover officers worked tirelessly to gather DNA samples from the brothers, which ultimately pointed to Joseph George Sutherland.
Sutherland, a 61-year-old IT professional, was arrested in Moosonee, Ontario, in November 2022. He confessed to the murders and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.
The episode features new interviews with detectives closely involved in the case, including Det. Stephen Smith, Det. Andrew Doyle, and Det. James Atkinson, as well as relatives of the victims, including Kristin Basso and Ben Tice.
Dateline’s “Evil Walked Through the Door” airs on NBC at 9:00 pm on Friday, April 19, 2024.
