It’s the mid-1970s. Downtown Toronto is caught between the liberation of the disco era and a suffocating, deeply ingrained societal paranoia.

For the men drinking under the glow of the St. Charles Tavern clock tower, the Village is a sanctuary. But sanctuaries are only safe until a predator finds the door.

​This week on Homocidal Tendency, we step into the neon-lit grit of the Yonge Street strip to track a terrifying string of 14 brutal, unsolved murders.

We are breaking down the horrifying signature of overkill left behind by a phantom killer, the suffocating apathy of the mainstream media, and the ultimate, twisted irony of the Toronto Police.

While law enforcement claimed they lacked the resources to hunt a serial killer slaughtering men in their own bedrooms, they managed to find unlimited funding and manpower to launch the militarized 1981 Operation Soap bathhouse raids.

​We also pull back the curtain on the prime suspect who simply vanished into the fog, and discuss how the institutional rot of the 1970s laid the exact blueprint for Bruce McArthur decades later.

​Visual Companions:

Head over to our socials to see this week's visual assets, including vintage photos of the St. Charles Tavern in its gritty prime, the original composite sketch of the "smelly" suspect, and archival press clippings.

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

​Support Homocidal Tendency:

Producing these deep dives, researching the cold cases, and building out the dark synth sound design takes a massive amount of time and resources. If you want to help cover the production expenses that keep the synths humming and the dark history coming, consider joining our newly launched Patreon. You’ll get access to behind-the-scenes content, early ad-free episodes, and exclusive bonus material.

https://linktr.ee/HomocidalTendency

​Rate & Review:

If you are locked into this week's true crime history, the best way to help this indie podcast grow is to leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or directly on our Buzzsprout page. Share this episode with a fellow true crime fan

​Episode Sources & Further Reading:

• ​Uncover: The Village (CBC Podcasts, Season 3): Investigative journalism by Justin Ling detailing the historical context of the 1970s Toronto Village murders and their connection to the systemic failures seen in the Bruce McArthur case.
• ​The Body Politic (Archives): Original reporting and community warnings published by the Toronto-based queer liberation magazine between 1975 and 1981, documenting the murders and challenging the police response.
• ​"Operation Soap" Historical Records: Press and historical documentation covering the February 5, 1981, Toronto bathhouse raids and the subsequent protests that sparked Canada's Stonewall.
• ​Ontario Cold Cases: Canada's True Crime Podcast: Historical timeline data and specific case file breakdowns regarding victims Arthur Walkley, Brian Latocki, and Alexander "Sandy" LeBlanc.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show