Between August and December 1983, Joseph George Sutherland committed two brutal and unspeakable crimes that would remain shrouded in mystery for nearly four decades.
Now, NBC Dateline takes viewers on a journey through the long and arduous process of solving these cold cases in “Evil Walked Through the Door”. This special episode will air on Friday, April 19, 2024, and will be available for streaming on Peacock and Hulu.
Joseph George Sutherland, just 21 years old at the time, was responsible for the assault and murder of two Toronto women in 1983. These heinous crimes remained unsolved for years until modern advancements in genetic genealogy finally brought justice to the victims.
The first victim, Susan Tice, was brutally killed in her home in Bickford Park on August 17, 1983. Tice, a beloved wife, mother, and social worker, was preparing a new home for her children when Sutherland broke in, sexually assaulted her, and ultimately stabbed her to death.
Just four months later, on December 20, 1983, Sutherland struck again, this time targeting 22-year-old Erin Gilmour in her Yorkville apartment. Gilmour, the daughter of a prominent mining magnate and an aspiring fashion designer, fell victim to Sutherland’s senseless attack.
Thanks to advancements in forensic genetic genealogy, Sutherland was finally apprehended on November 24, 2022. After pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in October 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 21 years on March 22, 2024.
The families of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour have waited patiently for justice for over 40 years, and while the sentencing brings some closure, the scars left by these horrific crimes will never fully heal.
