Episode 2: April 19, 1983 Jane Doe

Written By Justice for Cabot Square MMIWG2S+

In case you missed it, here is a link to episode 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1896469784.

Image Descriptions…

  • Image 1: black and white headshot of Doris Halfkenny Seale

  • Image 2: black and white headshot of Diane Thibault

  • Image 3: black and white headshot of Alice Cormier

  • Image 4: newspaper article covering the murder of Sharon Deslandes

  • Image 5: newspaper clipping of a composite sketch of the man police sought in connection to Sharon’s murder, from the Montreal Gazette May 11, 1985 edition

  • Image 6: newspaper clipping on Francine St. Hillaire’s murder, from the Montreal Gazette December 31, 1985 edition

  • Image 7: newspaper clipping on Chantal’s murder

  • Image 8: wanted poster of Nellie Bobbish’s perpetrator

  • Image 9: newspaper clipping on Cynthia Kudcik's murder, from the Montreal Gazette January 6, 2005 edition

  • Image 10: image of Alacie Nowrakudluk

In this episode….

In our second episode, we start out by discussing a historic case of MMIWG2S+ in Montreal; an Inuk Jan Doe who has been unknown since 1983. This case, and the failure of police to adequately investigate this woman’s death has set a precedent for the neglect surrounding cases of MMIW2GS+ today. The historic MMIWG2S+ cases of Nellie Bobbish, Alacie Nowrakudluk, and Cynthia Kudjick are discussed, along with the cold cases of women involved in the sex trade in Montreal, including Doris Halfkenny Seale, Diane Thibault, Alice Cormier, Sharon Deslandes, Francine St. Hillaire, Chantal Sauriol, and Karen Margaret Lewis. We then discuss how the current impunity of murder and violence against Indigenous women and girls in Cabot Square is shaped by historic neglect of Indigenous women and women involved in the sex trade and facing sexual exploitation, of which women in Cabot Square occupy both.

Timestamps…

  • Episode 1 recap: 5:26

  • April 19, 1983 Jane Doe: 9:15

  • Sex work versus trafficking versus exploitation discourse: 20:29

  • Doris Halfkenny Seale: 39:05

  • Diane Thibault: 42:58

  • Alice Cormier: 48:09

  • Sharon Deslandes: 48:33

  • Francine St. Hillaire

  • Gregory George Ashford theory: 51:28

  • Chantal Sauriol: 52:32

  • Karen Margaret Lewis: 58:17

  • Cynthia Kudjik: 54:10

  • Nellie Bobbish: 58:05

  • Alacie Nowrakudluk: 59:06

Calls to Action…

  1. Call the SPVM’s non-emergency line and ask that the April 19, 1983 Jane Doe’s case be added to their website under “Unidentified Remains”. The SPVM’s non-emergency line is: 514 393-1133

  2. Call the Surete du Quebec and ask them to include further details about the Jane Doe. Let them know that you care about her. You can reach the Surete du Quebec at: 1-800-659-4264 and reference the case number 073-830419-003

  3. Call the SPVM at 514-280-2222 and ask them to re-open the investigation into the deaths of: Doris Halfkenny Seale, Diane Thibault, Alice Cormier, Sharon Deslandes, Francine St. Hillaire, Karen Margaret Lewis, Cynthia Kudjick, Alacie Nowrakudluk, and Nellie Bobbish. They might hang up or cut you off, but try to keep going and push on. Family members do it every single day.

Resources…

References…

  1. Abel, G. M., Fitzgerald, L. J., & Brunton, C. (2009). The impact of decriminalisation on the number of sex workers in New Zealand. Journal of Social Policy, 38(3), 515–531. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279409003080

  2. Alsalem, R. (2024). Prostitution and violence against women and girls (Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, A/HRC/56/48). United Nations Human Rights Council. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/56/48

  3. Allore, J. (2018, May 28). Who killed Diane Thibeault?Who Killed Theresa?https://theresaallore.com/2018/05/28/6818/

  4. Anonymous. January 2025. Episode 1 - A Forgotten Place. In Manufactured Death - Cabot Square.  

  5. Armstrong, L. (2021). ‘I can lead the life that I want to lead’: Social harm, human needs and the decriminalisation of sex work in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 18(4), 941–951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-021-00605-7

  6. CBC. (2005, January 4). First murder (Montreal’s first murder victim of the year) [CBC Archive Sales audio‑visual/text item]. CBC Archive Sales. https://distributionarchives.cbcrc.ca/en/items/faa60ece-9621-4e6a-aa5e-e65ce5f0cb39

  7. CBC News. (n.d.). Tiffany Alice Morrison profile. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/mmiw/profiles/tiffany-alice-morrison

  8. Cherry, P. (2014, October 31). The woman who gave Chez Doris its name. Montreal Gazette. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/the-woman-who-gave-chez-doris-its-name

  9. Cherry, P. (2015, December 16). Businessman sentenced to 12 years for sexual assaults on sex workers. Montreal Gazette. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/businessman-sentenced-to-12-years-for-sexual-assaults-on-sex-workers

  10. Chu, S. K. H., & Glass, R. (2013). Sex work law reform in Canada: Considering problems with the Nordic model. Alberta Law Review, 51(1), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.29173/alr59

  11. Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, s. 279.01. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-279.01.html

  12. Global Network of Sex Work Projects. (2013). NSWP consensus statement on sex work, human rights, and the law(ConStat PDF EngFull). https://www.nswp.org/sites/default/files/ConStat%20PDF%20EngFull.pdf

  13. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). Reclaiming power and place: The final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Vol. 1a). Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. https://www.mmiwg‑ffada.ca/wp‑content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1a‑1.pdf 

  14. Ottawa Citizen. (1985, December 30). Murder suspect returned to Toronto. Ottawa Citizen. https://books.google.ca/books?id=Qa8yAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq=Gregory+George+Ashford+murder

  15. Potterat, J. J., Brewer, D. D., Muth, S. Q., Rothenberg, R. B., Woodhouse, D. E., Muth, J. B., Stites, H. K., & Brody, S. (2004). Mortality in a long-term open cohort of prostitute women. American Journal of Epidemiology, 159(8), 778–785. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh110

  16. Richmond, S. (2023). The transformation of Chez Doris. Social Transformation. https://socialtransformation.ca/the‑transformation‑of‑chez‑doris/ 

  17. Special Committee to Prevent the Abuse and Exploitation of Children through the Sex Trade. (2000, March 22). Hansard Verbatim Report No. 9 (24th Leg.). Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. https://docs.legassembly.sk.ca/legdocs/Legislative%20Committees/AEC/24%20Leg/000322Debates‑AEC.pdf 

  18. Struyf, P. (2022). To report or not to report? A systematic review of sex workers’ willingness to report violence and victimization to police. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(5), 3065–3077. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221122819

  19. Sûreté du Québec. (2007, November 29). Abdoulkadir Ali Musse — Les fugitifs les plus recherchés au Québec. fugitifsquebec.com. https://www.fugitifsquebec.com/fugitif/abdoulkadir-ali-musse/

  20. The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. (2020, November 18). Why victims and survivors of human trafficking may choose not to report. https://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/why-victims-and-survivors-of-human-trafficking-may‑choose‑not‑to‑report/ 

  21. The Montreal Gazette. (1984, November 28). Police Identify Slain Woman. The Montreal Gazette. https://books.google.ca/books? id=GSAyAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA3&dq=Alice+cormier+montreal&article_id=6642,5156397&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Alice%20cormier%20montreal&f=false

  22. The Montreal Gazette. (1985, May 11). Sharon lived a short life and an ugly death. The Montreal Gazette. https://books.google.ca/books?id=AYY0AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7&dq=prostitute+murder+montreal&article_id=2835%2C33160&hl=en

  23. The Montreal Gazette. (1985, February 4). Police seek young man after woman found strangled. The Montreal Gazette. https://books.google.ca/books?id=ww0vAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6&dq=sharon+deslandes+murder

  24. The Montreal Gazette. (1985, May 23). Detective unable to forget murder victim left in ditch. The Montreal Gazette. https://books.google.ca/books?id=mvlIAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA29&dq=prostitute+murder+montreal

Justice for Cabot Square MMIWG2S+
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Episode One: A Forgotten Place