David Robert Boyko, a 41-year-old man from Manitoba, was visiting Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in the spring of 1996. What brought him to the maritime city remains one of the many unanswered questions in the three decades since his death. His life was cut short on Mother's Day, leaving a mystery that still troubles investigators and the community.
On the morning of Sunday, May 12, 1996, David was seen alive for the last time. At approximately 6:00 a.m., he left a hotel in Dartmouth. The details of his destination or who he might have been meeting are unknown. More than seven hours later, at 1:24 p.m., a pedestrian walking along a dirt roadway at the end of Morris Road in the Burnside Industrial Park made a grim discovery. The passerby found an unresponsive male and immediately alerted the police. When officers arrived, they identified the man as David Robert Boyko.
He was deceased, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into David’s death was launched by what is now the Halifax Regional Police. The case was classified as a homicide, and detectives from the Special Investigation Section of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division have pursued it over the years. Despite their efforts, the file remains open and unsolved. Investigators believe there are people who possess crucial information that could finally bring the case to a resolution. Over the years, on anniversaries of the murder, police have reissued pleas to the public, hoping that the passage of time might encourage someone to come forward.
On the 25th anniversary in 2021, police stated, “We hope that the passage of time will encourage them to do the right thing and come forward with what they know. It is never too late to come forward and the smallest piece of information may be just what is needed to progress the investigation.” This sentiment was echoed on the 30th anniversary in May 2026, as police once again asked for the public's help, emphasizing that someone, somewhere, knows what happened to David Boyko.
The area where David's body was found, Burnside Industrial Park, was and remains one of the largest industrial parks in Atlantic Canada. The dirt road at the end of Morris Road would have been a relatively isolated location, especially on a Sunday morning, suggesting the killer or killers chose the spot for its seclusion. The specific hotel David left that morning has not been publicly named by authorities, and the reason for his visit to Dartmouth from his home in Manitoba has never been released.
As of May 2026, David Boyko’s murder remains an active cold case. His case is part of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program, which offers a cash reward of up to $150,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death. Police continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact them.
Investigators ask anyone with information about David’s murder to contact the police at 902-490-5016. To provide information about the reward program, individuals must call the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program directly at 1-888-710-9090. Anonymous tips can also be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
