In the autumn of 1974, the life of Suzanne Miller, a 25-year-old mother of three from London, Ontario, came to a tragic and mysterious end. She was last seen on September 16, 1974, leaving her apartment on Gammage Street. After she failed to return home, her common-law husband reported her missing the following day. The initial search for Suzanne yielded few clues until her blue 1972 Datsun Fastback was discovered abandoned in the parking lot of the Argyle Mall a few weeks after her
disappearance. The discovery of the car, however, did not bring investigators any closer to finding her, as an examination of the vehicle revealed no forensic evidence or signs of a struggle.
The missing person case turned into a homicide investigation on October 12, 1974, when Suzanne's badly decomposed body was found in a bush lot near the Thames River in Thorndale, a short distance from London. An autopsy determined that she had died from blunt-force trauma. Investigators believe that the wooded area was not the scene of the crime, but rather a dumping ground for her body, and that she was killed elsewhere. The investigation, a joint effort between the London Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police was complicated by the state of the remains. A strange event occurred during her visitation when an unidentified, balding man who smelled of alcohol appeared, paid his respects at her casket, and signed the guest register as simply "a friend." He left a $20 donation for flowers before departing, and though a composite sketch was created, his identity and connection to the case remain unknown.
Over the decades, Suzanne Miller's murder has remained one of London's most notorious cold cases. No arrests have ever been made, and her killer has never been identified. While police have not publicly named any suspects, a retired investigator noted that they did have a person of interest at the time and still do, though there was never enough evidence to press charges. Criminologists have suggested her death may have been a "personal cause homicide," meaning the perpetrator was likely someone she knew. In 2018, the OPP launched a renewed public appeal for information, utilizing social media, a dedicated tip line, and a police vehicle wrapped with her photo and case details in a campaign called "Find My Killer." They also increased the reward for information leading to an arrest to $50,000. Despite these efforts and the passage of time, the case is still an active and open investigation, a painful lingering mystery for her family and a stark reminder of a violent chapter in the city's history.
