Police believe Smith may have killed more women
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson, OPP Chief Superintendent Karen Gonneau, and Detective Sergeant Steve Smith of the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Homicide and Missing Persons Unit Cold – Case Section announced the identification of the offender responsible for three historic homicide cases.
The cases involve the deaths of Christine Prince, Claire Samson and Gracelyn Greenidge, who were killed between 1982 and 1997. The women were not known to each other.
On December 3, 2025, the CFS conclusively identified Kenneth Smith as the offender in all three homicides. Smith died in 2019 at age 72 in Windsor, Ontario.
If he were alive today, the Toronto Police Service would arrest Kenneth Smith for the homicides of Christine Prince and Gracelyn Greenidge. The OPP would arrest him for the homicide of Claire Samson.
“For decades, the families of Christine Prince, Claire Samson and Gracelyn Greenidge have lived with unanswered questions,” said Chief Superintendent Karen Gonneau, Ontario Provincial Police.
“This week, we were able to give them the answers they have long deserved, made possible by advancements in DNA technology and the unwavering dedication of investigators from TPS and OPP, alongside our partners at the Centre of Forensic Sciences and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Although the accused is deceased, the investigation does not end. This case stands as a powerful reminder that while time may pass, our commitment to victims and their families does not fade. We will continue to pursue the truth, no matter how long it takes, because no victim will be forgotten and every family deserves answers.”
Smith lived and worked in Toronto during the time of the murders. He was known to police and had a history of sexual assault. Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with information about Smith to contact police.
Christine Prince, 25, was last seen June 21, 1982, on a streetcar along St. Clair Avenue West. Her body was found the next day in the Rouge River. Investigators say she had been sexually assaulted and struck on the head. Her cause of death was drowning. Prince was from Wales and working as a nanny in Toronto.
Claire Samson was 23 years old when she was last seen on early September 1, 1983, near Jarvis and Gerrard streets. Her body was discovered the next day on private land off the 20/21 Sideroad in Oro-Medonte Township. She had been shot twice.
Gracelyn Greenidge, 41, was found dead in her Driftwood Avenue apartment on July 29, 1997. She died of blunt force trauma. A co-worker discovered her after she failed to report for her shift as a nursing assistant. Greenidge was originally from Barbados.
DNA was collected at each scene, but no suspect was identified at the time.
In 2016, DNA from the homicides of Prince and Samson that was previously uploaded to the National DNA databank was matched to an unknown male profile. This prompted a joint investigation between TPS and the OPP.
In 2017, the Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS) further determined that the same offender was also responsible for the homicide of Gracelyn Greenidge. However, progress remained limited due to the condition of the samples and the technology available at the time.
In 2022, Othram was engaged to apply emerging genetic genealogy technologies, and in 2025, investigators from TPS were able to identify familial relatives of the offender.
Toronto Police and the OPP would like to thank the CFS, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, members of the TPS Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, and in particular, the Cold Case team and Forensic Identification team, past and present, for their commitment to bringing this person to justice. Additionally, thank you to current and former members of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch and the Historic Homicide Unit.
