John Daly

British Columbia and certainly all of the lower mainland was sort of an idyllic spot. I mean, even though Vancouver was a big city, it was still like a little town.

British Columbia and certainly all of the lower mainland was sort of an idyllic spot. I mean, even though Vancouver was a big city, it was still like a little town.

I mean, kids would wander all over, go hiking and go into the back lots, go play in the park, get on their bikes. They'd go exploring, hunt for caterpillars, just go play ball. Five, ten blocks away, it was nothing. I mean, kids were all over the place and running around and enjoying themselves and basically fearless. It was happy times. People left their doors unlocked.

I mean, kids would wander all over, go hiking and go into the back lots, go play in the park, get on their bikes. They'd go exploring, hunt for caterpillars, just go play ball. Five, ten blocks away, it was nothing. I mean, kids were all over the place and running around and enjoying themselves and basically fearless. It was happy times. People left their doors unlocked.

I mean, they told me that repeatedly. But then that all changed. It was shocking that kids were disappearing. It was all across the lower mainland, you know, Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, all over. And this just hadn't happened before. And of course it was children. So it was really, really terrifying.

I mean, they told me that repeatedly. But then that all changed. It was shocking that kids were disappearing. It was all across the lower mainland, you know, Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, all over. And this just hadn't happened before. And of course it was children. So it was really, really terrifying.

And the whole, all of British Columbia was basically seized with this fear and dread. And parents had to figure out whether or not to take their kids to school, keep them in after school. Kids wanted to go hang out at the mall. They wanted to go to the playground. And parents were basically fearful of this, and rightly so. It started with a girl from Surrey disappearing.

And the whole, all of British Columbia was basically seized with this fear and dread. And parents had to figure out whether or not to take their kids to school, keep them in after school. Kids wanted to go hang out at the mall. They wanted to go to the playground. And parents were basically fearful of this, and rightly so. It started with a girl from Surrey disappearing.

And nobody really knew what happened. It was kind of confusing. And, of course, you know, the standard police response was, maybe she ran away, something must have happened. Nothing to indicate foul play. We don't know if there's any kind of a crime involved here, you know, but we'll do what we can.

And nobody really knew what happened. It was kind of confusing. And, of course, you know, the standard police response was, maybe she ran away, something must have happened. Nothing to indicate foul play. We don't know if there's any kind of a crime involved here, you know, but we'll do what we can.

It wasn't until the following year that another girl, a 13-year-old, disappeared.

It wasn't until the following year that another girl, a 13-year-old, disappeared.

And they didn't find her body for a long time. So it took a while for anybody to start wondering whether or not these things were connected. But it was pretty scary. Just those two were enough to get people worried. It was very surprising that there wasn't more of a frenetic reaction and more reaction from the police when these kids would disappear.

And they didn't find her body for a long time. So it took a while for anybody to start wondering whether or not these things were connected. But it was pretty scary. Just those two were enough to get people worried. It was very surprising that there wasn't more of a frenetic reaction and more reaction from the police when these kids would disappear.

We're not talking about 17, 18 year olds where, you know, you might suspect, well, maybe they've connected with some friends or, you know, had a fight at the house or something like that. I mean, these are pretty young kids who ought to be home at night. There's something seriously wrong here. And yet, it didn't really seem to light a fire under authorities.

We're not talking about 17, 18 year olds where, you know, you might suspect, well, maybe they've connected with some friends or, you know, had a fight at the house or something like that. I mean, these are pretty young kids who ought to be home at night. There's something seriously wrong here. And yet, it didn't really seem to light a fire under authorities.

And, you know, looking back on it, you sort of see that clearly society and the authorities were, I guess, complacent, if you want to be kind.

And, you know, looking back on it, you sort of see that clearly society and the authorities were, I guess, complacent, if you want to be kind.

I guess I was a bit naive. I think I believed the police. And they said, there's nothing to indicate foul play. There's nothing to indicate that these cases are in any way connected. Then I started to wonder, well, you know, how many people would go out and kill kids?

I guess I was a bit naive. I think I believed the police. And they said, there's nothing to indicate foul play. There's nothing to indicate that these cases are in any way connected. Then I started to wonder, well, you know, how many people would go out and kill kids?