Frank Perry

Frank Perry was a family man, a retired city worker who lived with his wife in a quiet neighborhood in Niagara Falls, Ontario. At 62 years old, he was a husband and a father to five children who all remained in the Niagara area. After a career with the City of Niagara Falls, his retirement years were spent at his home on Ontario Avenue. By some accounts, Perry was also well-known for other activities; police would later note his involvement in the illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco, as well as smuggling contraband across the nearby border from the United States into Canada.

The morning of August 27, 1992, began like any other summer day in the serene community. But at 9:08 a.m., a friend arrived at the Perry residence at 5217 Ontario Avenue and made a horrifying discovery. Inside, Frank Perry was dead in his bed. It was immediately clear that he had not died of natural causes, and the Niagara Regional Police Service was called to the scene, launching a homicide investigation.

A post-mortem examination revealed the brutal nature of the attack. Perry had been struck numerous times in the back and side of the head with a blunt object. Investigators determined he had been home alone at the time of the murder and was likely asleep when his killer, or killers, entered his room. The motive appeared to be robbery. A cash box, which Perry kept in the bedroom and that contained both money and jewellery, was missing. The scene left behind a host of questions for detectives, who worked to piece together the final hours of Perry's life.

The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Homicide Unit took charge of the investigation. They were able to track Frank Perry’s movements until about 10:00 p.m. on the night of August 26, 1992, but the hours leading up to the discovery of his body remained a blank slate. Investigators appealed to the public for any information, hoping to speak with anyone who might have seen him or noticed anything unusual on Ontario Avenue late that night or in the early morning hours. Despite their efforts, the trail grew cold.

For decades, Frank Perry’s case has remained without a resolution, a persistent and painful mystery for his surviving wife and five children. The Niagara Regional Police Service has kept the file open, committed to finding justice for the Perry family. In a 2019 statement, Staff Sergeant Luigi Greco of the NRPS Major Crime Unit affirmed, "The investigation into the unsolved homicide of Mr. Frank Perry remains open & the Niagara Regional Police Service is committed to continuing this investigation in order to identify the person or people responsible.”

As of January 2021, the case was highlighted again in a public appeal by Crime Stoppers Niagara. They released details of four unsolved regional murders, including Perry's, in the hope that new media attention might jog someone's memory or prick a conscience. The statement noted that while homicide investigators had amassed a great deal of information and forensic evidence over the years, "there are still gaps that prevent detectives from making arrests." The fundamental questions of who entered Frank Perry's home that night and why they chose to end his life so violently remain unanswered.

The case of Frank Perry is a stark reminder of the lasting impact of violent crime. Decades have passed, but a family still waits for answers, and a killer has never been held accountable. The Niagara Regional Police Service continues to ask for the public’s help. Anyone with any information regarding this unsolved homicide is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 905-688-4111, extension 4200, or to remain anonymous, by calling Crime Stoppers Niagara at 1-800-222-8477.