Marlene Sweet

In the late summer of 1982, Marlene Sweet, a 31-year-old single mother, was living with her seven-year-old son, Jason Sweet, in a small apartment in Windsor, Ontario. Their lives, full of the everyday routines of a mother and her young child, came to a brutal and silent end in their home at Apartment 15, located at 8671 Wyandotte St. E. The community would not know the horror that had unfolded inside for another two weeks.

On September 13, 1982, after concerns were raised, the badly decomposed bodies of Marlene and Jason were discovered inside their residence. The scene told a story of extreme violence. Investigators with the Windsor Police Service determined that the double homicide had occurred approximately two weeks prior to the discovery. An autopsy revealed that Marlene had been beaten to death. Her young son, Jason, appeared to have been smothered, his life extinguished before it had truly begun. The violent nature of their deaths sent a shockwave through the city.

In the initial stages of the investigation, police worked diligently to piece together the last days of the mother and son. They interviewed several persons of interest, trying to establish a timeline and a motive for the heinous crime. Despite their efforts, the investigation was hampered by a lack of crucial physical evidence and the absence of any eyewitnesses who could place a suspect at the scene. Without the key piece of information needed to move forward, no charges were ever laid, and the case eventually grew cold.

For decades, the murders of Marlene and Jason Sweet have remained an open wound for their family and the community. The case file has never been closed, remaining an active investigation for the Windsor Police Service. Over the years, detectives have revisited the evidence, hoping that advances in forensic technology or a long-held secret might finally break the silence. The case is one of several historical homicides in the city for which police have repeatedly sought the public's help.

Police officials have expressed their belief that the case is solvable. In December 2019, Windsor Police Deputy Chief Brad Hill spoke about the importance of public assistance. "We have information that we believe that these are all solvable homicides, it's always that one unknown piece of information we don't have yet," he said. The hope is that even a small, seemingly insignificant memory could be the missing link investigators need. Another officer, Inspector Brad Hill, noted that renewing public appeals can jog people's memories, stating, "Someone who thinks what they told us at the time wasn't important or they think of something that they didn't remember at the time and that gives us a point to start over and restart the investigation."

As of March 2025, the double homicide of Marlene and Jason Sweet remains an active unsolved case. The Windsor Police Services Board has consistently renewed and increased a financial reward for information, hoping to incentivize someone to come forward. The reward is offered for information that leads to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murders. Police believe there are people who hold knowledge about what happened in that Wyandotte Street apartment in 1982.

The reward for information has been increased over time, reaching $20,000 by December 2019. The Windsor Police Service continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with details about the unsolved murders of Marlene and Jason Sweet can contact the Windsor Police Service's Major Crimes Branch at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830, or provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477.