Diane Gloria Paul, a 54-year-old woman, was a familiar figure in the Dauphin, Manitoba, community, where she co-owned Thunder's Country Restaurant and Saloon. She was married to Alex Paul, who was serving his second term as mayor of Dauphin at the time. On the night of March 13, 2007, the quiet surrounding their home just south of Dauphin was shattered when Diane was found dead inside the large two-storey residence near the northern edge of Riding Mountain National Park.
Shortly after 11 p.m., Alex Paul contacted Diane's son, Robbie Tomkins, telling him that his mother was dead, and RCMP were subsequently called to the residence. Police records place their response at approximately 11:15 p.m. Officers found Diane deceased in her bedroom. Tomkins arrived and later recalled finding his mother upstairs with blood visible around her mouth and nose. She had suffered a gunshot wound. Investigators later reported that she had been shot while she slept.
In the immediate aftermath, Alex Paul suggested that his wife of approximately 15 years might have taken her own life. The investigation quickly moved in a different direction. An autopsy established that Diane's death was a homicide, and investigators began searching for the firearm used in the killing. The murder weapon was never recovered despite repeated searches of the area and fields surrounding the residence. There was also reportedly no indication of a struggle in the bedroom, something Diane's family believed was consistent with her being attacked while asleep.
Only days after the killing, the investigation took a dramatic turn when RCMP took Alex Paul into custody. Contemporary reporting described him as a person of interest in the investigation. He was detained and questioned but released approximately 24 hours later without being charged. RCMP said they did not have sufficient evidence to continue holding him. By May 2007, police publicly stated that they had not named any suspect in Diane's murder. Alex Paul, through his lawyer Richard Wolson, categorically denied having anything to do with his wife's death.
Investigators also examined other members of Diane's family as they attempted to determine what had happened inside the home. Her two sons and a niece agreed to RCMP polygraph examinations. RCMP later said those three family members were regarded as witnesses rather than suspects. Alex Paul also underwent a police polygraph examination despite advice from his lawyer not to do so. Police did not publicly release the result of that examination. Wolson later said his client underwent a second, privately administered polygraph and passed it, although polygraph evidence is generally not admissible as proof of guilt or innocence in court.
The killing created deep divisions within Diane's family and generated intense speculation in Dauphin. Her son publicly pressed for answers and at one point posted allegations online concerning his stepfather, prompting Alex Paul to threaten legal action and maintain that the accusations were false. No lawsuit was ultimately filed. Despite the suspicions and rumors surrounding the case, police did not lay a murder charge against Alex Paul or publicly establish that he was responsible for Diane's death.
Years passed without an arrest. On the fifth anniversary of the homicide in 2012, Dauphin RCMP again appealed to the public for information, saying the investigation remained active. Reporting in 2023 said RCMP were continuing to investigate and that no arrest had resulted from the case. Manitoba Crime Stoppers continues to list Diane Gloria Paul's death as an unsolved homicide being investigated by Dauphin RCMP and the RCMP Major Crimes Unit. No one has been charged, brought to trial, or convicted in connection with her killing, and the identity of the person who shot her remains officially unresolved.
