Kimber Leanne Lucas, a 25-year-old woman who was a good student and onetime aspiring model, was looking forward to the birth of her child. But in the early morning hours of November 23, 1994, her life, and that of her unborn baby, were violently taken. For three decades, her family has waited for answers, and the Halifax Regional Police have continued to seek the person responsible for the double tragedy.
At approximately 8:41 a.m. on that Wednesday morning, police responded to a call about a possible death at the rear of a building at 5783 North Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, they discovered Kimber’s body. An investigation by the medical examiner swiftly ruled her death a homicide. Kimber, who was seven months pregnant, had been stabbed. Investigators determined she was last seen alive in the area of North Street and Maitland Street between 1:30 a.m.
and 3:30 a.m., just hours before she was found.
Kimber grew up in a good home, loved sports, and did well in school. At one point, she had considered a career as a model. However, she developed an addiction to crack cocaine, which led to a difficult life on the streets. Despite the challenges she faced, her murder sent a shockwave through the community. Nearly 300 mourners attended her funeral at the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, a testament to the life that was lost.
The investigation into Kimber’s murder has spanned decades and involved several complex leads. In the years after her death, the violent nature of the crime sent "a chill down the spines" of other sex workers in the city. Her aunt, Tuney Flint, later reported that Kimber had been warned that three men were looking for her and intended to harm her. Some investigators at the time considered a possible link between her case and the murder of another sex worker, Brenda Way, who was found dead in Dartmouth in November 1995.
Six years after the murder, in November 2000, Halifax police announced a significant development: they had a DNA profile of her killer and a suspect in mind, but they were unable to connect the two. Earlier that year, detectives had interviewed convicted serial killer Michael Wayne McGray in prison. McGray had claimed to have killed 16 people across North America, including a sex worker in Halifax, but he could not provide investigators with a name or a specific date for the crime. No definitive link to Kimber's case was ever established.
As the years turned into decades, Kimber's case remained a priority for cold case detectives. On the 25th and 30th anniversaries of her death, the Halifax Regional Police renewed their public appeals for information, expressing their firm belief that there are people who hold the key to solving the case. In a November 2024 statement, police reiterated their hope that "the passage of time will encourage someone to do the right thing and come forward with what they know."
The investigation into the murder of Kimber Leanne Lucas is active and ongoing as of November 2024. Her case is part of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program. A cash reward of up to $150,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her death. Police urge anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact them at 902-490-5020 or the rewards program at 1-888-710-9090.
