Irene Pearson

Irene Pearson was a charismatic and beautiful 31-year-old woman making a life for herself in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A real estate salesperson for Castlewood Homes, she was known to have several circles of friends. Her former roommate, Val Giesbrecht, with whom she once sold insurance, remembered her as a vibrant person. In the autumn of 1979, Irene was working in the newly developing Tyndall Park area, showing homes to prospective buyers and building her career. In the days leading up to her death, she had confided in friends that she had been receiving a series of indecent phone calls, some of which she had recorded.

On the evening of Thursday, November 15, 1979, Irene was working alone at a show home on Cropo Bay. Around 6:30 p.m., two neighborhood youths saw her walking with a man who was wearing a trench coat and a hat. It is believed this man was posing as a potential client. At some point, Irene left a note taped to the door of the show home that read, "Back in 10 minutes." The television was left on, her purse was under a table, and her cigarettes were on a coffee table, suggesting she was not concerned and did not intend to be gone for long. She was then lured or willingly walked across the street to a vacant, newly constructed house on Kinver Avenue.

The next morning, Friday, November 16, maintenance workers for Castlewood Homes entered the Kinver Avenue house and made a horrifying discovery in the basement. Irene Pearson’s body was found; she had been the victim of a brutal and violent attack. An autopsy would later reveal she had been struck in the head multiple times with a blunt object and stabbed repeatedly in the chest and face. The cause of death was determined to be massive brain damage and catastrophic injuries to her heart and lungs. The city of Winnipeg was shocked by the viciousness of the crime.

The Winnipeg Police Service launched a massive investigation, compiling a list of 180 potential suspects in the early months. The man last seen with Irene was described as being between 22 and 30 years old, with an average height and build, medium-length brown hair, and possibly a mustache. Investigators also received information that a person of interest may have been driving a red or blue newer-model Plymouth Volare or Dodge Aspen. Near Irene’s body, police recovered a crucial piece of evidence: an inexpensive silver cross and chain with a broken clasp. Investigators determined the necklace did not belong to Irene and theorized it may have been torn from her attacker during a struggle.

For decades, the case grew cold despite numerous persons of interest being investigated and ruled out. A significant break came in 2007 when forensic investigators were able to develop a DNA profile from evidence collected at the crime scene. However, the DNA did not match anyone in existing databases, and no suspect was identified. In June 2016, police released a re-enactment video and made a renewed public appeal for information. They specifically asked for anyone who may have worked on the construction of the Kinver Avenue home to come forward so their DNA could be eliminated from the investigation. "We need to know who was in that house and the reason for them being in that house," said Sgt. John O'Donovan at the time.

Friends and colleagues were devastated by the loss. The real estate firm where Irene worked had reportedly planned to discuss the safety of its female agents at a meeting scheduled for the very day she was killed. Her former roommate, Val Giesbrecht, expressed her shock and sadness, wondering, "Who could do this?" Upon learning that police were re-examining the case decades later, she was glad. "I was happy to hear that they were looking at it again because its never been solved," Giesbrecht said. "She deserves for it to be solved. She deserves for the person to be found."

As of September 2026, Irene Pearson's murder remains an unsolved cold case, a priority for the Winnipeg Police Service's Historical Homicide Unit. No arrests have ever been made. "Perhaps somebody out there saw something, maybe they [were] scared but enough time has passed that they've now changed their mind, they want to come forward and say something," Det.-Sgt. Roger Penner said in 2016. "That's why we're here. We're trying another avenue to generate talk and discussion and to move us towards a conclusion for this homicide."

In January 1980, the Manitoba Real Estate Board offered a reward for information leading to the killer's arrest. The Winnipeg Police Service continues to ask anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Tips can be directed to the Historical Homicide Unit at 204-986-3819 or submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).