Joseph Marsala

In the early morning hours of Friday, November 3, 1995, the body of Joseph Marsala, a 47-year-old male from Niagara Falls, Ontario, was found lying on a quiet stretch of Kalar Road. It was shortly after 1:00 a.m. when he was discovered between Chippawa Creek Road and Brown Road, having been shot multiple times. The discovery marked the beginning of a homicide investigation that has now spanned decades, leaving a family without answers and a community with the memory of a violent, unsolved crime.

Police arriving at the scene located a white Oldsmobile with Ontario licence plate 877-XPP parked nearby. Investigators identified the victim as a resident of Montrose Road in Niagara Falls. They also quickly established that Marsala was known to them. He had a criminal record dating back to 1972, with convictions for drug trafficking, weapons, and driving offenses. Police learned that Marsala was a known drug trafficker with numerous associates and was a frequent visitor to the former AA Auto Wreckers, located at 7549 Kalar Road, not far from where his body was found.

The Niagara Regional Police Service Homicide Unit took charge of the investigation, meticulously working to piece together the victim's final hours. Detectives were able to successfully track Joseph Marsala's movements up until 11:30 p.m. on the night of Thursday, November 2, 1995. However, a critical 90-minute window between then and when his body was discovered remains unaccounted for. Who Marsala was with and where he was during this crucial period are questions that investigators believe hold the key to identifying his killer.

The initial investigation yielded some witness information. People reported seeing two vehicles speeding away from the area around the time of the murder. The cars were seen traveling south on Kalar Road before heading west on Brown Road. Despite this, the occupants of those vehicles have never been identified, and the trail grew cold. The motive for the targeted killing has long been suspected to be connected to Marsala's involvement in the local drug trade.

Over the years, Niagara Regional Police have continued to seek information from the public. The case remains open and active within their cold case files. In January 2021, Niagara Crime Stoppers issued a special appeal, highlighting Marsala's murder along with three other unsolved homicides in the region from the 1990s. In the release, the board of directors stated their belief that renewed media attention could encourage people to come forward with long-held information. They noted that while a great amount of information and forensic evidence had been collected, "there are still gaps that prevent detectives from making arrests."

Investigators have stressed that even the smallest detail could be the missing piece of the puzzle. They are hopeful that someone can finally provide information about who Marsala was with in his final 90 minutes or shed light on the two vehicles seen fleeing the scene. Decades have passed, but police are convinced there are people in the community who know who is responsible for the shooting death of Joseph Marsala.

As of early 2021, the murder of Joseph Marsala remains an unsolved homicide. The Niagara Regional Police Service continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with any information regarding this case is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 905-688-4111, extension 4200. To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Niagara at 1-800-222-8477.