Over the course of their operation, four residents disappeared from the Laan family homes: 77-year-old Lawrence, a former newspaper reporter and aspiring author; 69-year-old Grant, a family man and former auto parts salesman; 70-year-old Crofts, a former Eaton's employee and father of twin boys; and 89-year-old Semple, a father, grandfather and war veteran. Obituary Katherine Clare Smith It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Katherine Clare Smith, 36, of Stahlstown, PA, on February 27, 2022. Anthony Varcak Sandy Weingartz . Katherine "Kappy" L. Smith December 30, 1922 - February 21, 2023 Share this obituary Sign Guestbook | View Guestbook Entries | Send Sympathy Card Print Obituary Michael J Lear of Guymon February 22, 2023 Smith family, I am deeply sorry for your loss. The Walrus sparks conversations about Canada and its place in the world through our award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, events, podcasts, and content solutions. David Laan, who is now sixty, is believed to work at George Brown College in Toronto. About a week later, his father died. With thanks,Jennifer HollettExecutive Director, Updated 9:54, Nov. 12, 2019|Published 15:11, Mar. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Officiating will be Rev. For tips about this story or any other, contact Lisa Mayor at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca or Timothy Sawa at timothy.sawa@cbc.ca. Katherine C. Smith. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google In 1996, his father fell ill and was moved to hospital in Huntsville. She competed in the Pittsburgh Marathon three times as a hand cyclist, having been instructed by instructed by Three Rivers Adaptive Sports. For two decades, Canadians have relied on our thought-provoking journalism to make sense of our world. it's to make a difference. The documents say he approached each resident and asked them if they understood what they had signed. None of the Laans, or their uncle, Ron Allen, reported their residents as missing. In Lawrences case, David and Ron Allen were listed as first-degree murder suspects. Lawrence also began to indicate she was in danger. Wanting more space for her cats, Lawrence relocated to the Laan farm, a twenty-eight-hectare property owned by three of the Laan brothers: David, Walter, and Paul. Katherine Ann Smith Mahan, age 86, of Talbott, departed to be face to face with the Lord at Signature Lifestyles assisted living on Wednesday, December 30, 2020. A private investigator hired by the CBC in 2017 was unable to locate Kathrine, now fifty-four. He also told police he heard the "sound of gunshots" around the last time he saw her in the fall of 1998. Insp. And there was never a time that she allowed anything to stop her from doing what she loved. Lawrence, left, Ralph (Dougie) Grant, John Crofts and John Semple are four seniors who disappeared while living in residences owned. He signed all but two of the forms. 2, 2018. She traveled the world playing bocce, Zablotney said. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. April 4, 1940 - She was born Aug. 30, 1985, in Latrobe, the daughter of Patricia OBrien Smith and the late Robert Melville Smith. She was also full of sarcasm, wit, was habitually late, and we loved her even more for it. Its thought that Lawrence moved to Huntsville from Barrie, Ontario, in 1963. Online Finite Mathematics Tutors. Hurley said reflecting back now, he thinks the only reason his father lived as long as he did is because, unlike in many other cases, his father had family to watch out for him. Box 38235, Pittsburgh PA 15216 or www.traspa.org, and the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, www.pittsburghsteelwheelers.com. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application. Police spent nearly three years searching for bodies, clues and answers, but none of the four have been seen since and none of their bodies have been found. For over four years she worked for the PEAL Center in Pittsburgh, PA, where she designed and coordinated curriculum and events for transitioning youth with special needs throughout Pennsylvania. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Katherine J. Smith to show support. Katherine was a homemaker who meticulously tended to her property . If you know of an upcoming event for Katherine J. Smith, please add one. Its goal is to create strategies that fulfill journalisms basic pledge: to serve society with a truthful, intelligent and comprehensive account of ideas and events. She used everything life gave her to become the best she could be, Badger said. Muskoka mystery: Fifth Estate host Bob McKeown approaches Kathrine Laan, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The pastor said he observed the forms were already completed and signed, which made him uncomfortable. Newly obtained police documents reveal additional details and shed further light on what police believe may have happened to four elderly people who mysteriously vanished two decades ago from a secluded area of Ontario's cottage country north of Toronto. Smith was a board member of the local chapter of United Spinal Association and the Stoneybrook Foundation, which operates a therapeutic riding center in Acme. She was a homemaker and member of South Point Baptist Church formerly Harvest Baptist Church. There is no photo or video of Katherine J. Smith.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Manishens filing is in response to an application first made by The Walrus and CBC News, which hosts The Fifth Estate, to get at the warrants, which the Crown attorneys office is also opposing. Several of the family members who ran the homes have criminal records. This property wasn't directly connected to the other "care homes," but was used as a rooming property for renters. Burial will take place at a later date at Fairfield Township. In mid-December 1998, police found the bodies of six of Lawrence's cats with bullets in them during a search of the property where Lawrence was last seen. I Believe in the Evil EyeAnd You Should Too. The newly released documentsinclude details about a gun found on the property from which Lawrence disappeared, along with insight into conditions of "care homes" run by the Laan family in the area and information about a forged signature on a tax cheque that police believe was the catalyst in Lawrence's disappearance. asheboro country club membership cost why did ruby bentall leave the paradise. David, Walter, Walters wife, Karen, Paul, and Kathrine were eventually charged in relation to the theft of residents government benefit chequesincluding cheques belonging to three of the missing seniors. As we look at Who We Are Now in 2023, help us power the next 20 years of inspiring conversations and fact-checked journalism. And her sister, Jillian Mariani. The information contained in the documents has not been tested in court. In November 1998, the OPP began investigating the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old Huntsville resident known as the Cat Lady, who lived on a farm property owned by the Laans. I wish I could talk about what I saw in those homes but when this case finally is resolved, I feel those [victims'] families will have justice.". As such, this individual is not authorized to call herself a naturopath or use the title of doctor, nor is she entitled to practise as a naturopath in Ontario.. The four missing seniors all lived with the Laans prior to their disappearance. Katie Smith of Stahlstown did not let a car accident that left her paralyzed stop her from living life the way she wanted, from continuing to play sports here and abroad to being a positive impact in peoples lives, according to her friends. Ms. Katherine Clare Smith, 36, died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. "I am optimistic that one day we'll be sitting in court and the individuals responsible will have to justify their actions.". Join Facebook to connect with Kathy Laan and others you may know. She spent six months recovering from her injury at the Institute of Research and Rehabilitation at UPMC Southside in Pittsburgh. Katie also served as a mentor to both peers and students. For the stories, The Walrus and The Fifth Estate have petitioned an Ontario court judge to unseal several search warrants executed in the early months of the investigation. Katie has forever impacted our lives in the best way possible and there are no words for the mark she has left on all of us.. Katie later shifted her professional focus to non-profit work. Katie also participated in adaptive horseback riding, administered through Nickers N Neighs and the Stoneybrook Foundation, where she also became a board member. An OPP detective who went to one property noted the septic system drained directly from the building onto the ground. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Badger said she and Smith made appearances together at the Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center in Pittsburgh, which works with disabled children and their families. Pleasant Area High School, where she graduated in 2003. That legal secretary told police that the cheque was endorsed with Lawrence's forged signature. A private celebration of life will follow at a later date. She is survived by : her children, Kathy Curtis of Vandalia, Suzanne Phillips (Kenneth) of Huber Heights and Christopher Smith of Dayton; her grandchildren, Nicole Taylor (Erik), Collin Phillips (Bridget), Lindsay Smith of Edwards, AFB and Kristopher Phillips; and her great grandchildren, Zachary, Natalie, Jaiden and Camden. "I didn't get suspicious, only in so far as we couldn't pay the bill to the funeral home. Average Age & Life Expectancy Katherine R Smith lived 13 years longer than the average Smith family member when she died at the age of 84. Smith pursued her love of sports by skiing and playing rugby, curling and bocce, Zablotney said. He told police there was a chance he did it while drunk, as the Laans often brought their residents some recovering alcoholics rye and beer to drink. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. OPP Det. Wheelchair America in 2012. Its goal is to create strategies that fulfill journalisms basic pledge: to serve society with a truthful, intelligent and comprehensive account of ideas and events. Angier, NC: Mrs. Katherine "Elaine" Smith Reardon, age 67, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at the SECU Hospice House in Smithfield. Joan Lawrence, John Crofts, Ralph Grant and John Semple vanished from retirement homes owned by a local family under what police say are suspicious circumstances. Despite extensive and repeated searches by police, the bodies of Joan Lawrence, John Semple, John Crofts, and Ralph Grant have not yet been found. 4VJSK ilt 4, A -Whlney for . Most of the information contained in the files, however, remained blacked out. Katherine Anne (Arnold) Smith came into the world on Nov. 18, 1937, in Danvers, Mass., and grew up in Cuba, N.Y. She left the world peacefully, surrounded by her loving husband and children on . Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals at 1958 World Cup, dies, Terry Holland, who transformed Virginia basketball, dies at 80, Kremlin image-maker turned critic Gleb Pavlovsky dies at 71, Betty Boothroyd, first female UK Commons speaker, dies at 93, Charleroi native, CMU grad actress Barbara Bosson dead at 83, Long-lost ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. But I will say that I had significant concerns regarding the care of these individuals. Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2013, was an amazing person who worked with youth who had disabilities, giving them hope that they can do what they wanted to do with their life, said her friend, Josie Badger of New Castle, who was Ms. (Manishen has ignored requests for an interview.). Funeral arrangement under the care ofBaker-Hazel & Snider Funeral Home. She will deeply be missed. Last month, Fifth Estate journalists and I interacted with Kathrine outside a movie theatre in Bracebridge. The Walrus uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Asked about the disappearances of Joan Lawrence, John Semple, John Crofts, and Ralph Grant, she replied, Fake news, sir, and climbed into the drivers seat of a dark blue Volvo. The documents state that Kathrine bugged Lawrence to move into Cedar Pines, a residence Kathrine had purchased west of Huntsville. Funeral Services will be 2:00PM Sunday, December 5, 2021 at Piney Grove Chapel Baptist Church, Angier. Anyone who knew her will tell you she had a clever, quiet sense of humor and expressed care and concern for others in need. He initially said he scared them in to the bush or that people fishing in the lake adjacent to the property had killed them. When Hurley inquired with the Canada Pension Plan about his father's survivor benefits paid to the next of kin to assist with the costs of a funeral, he was told that the payout had been made to "the other applicant.". Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 12:00 p. . The wide-ranging response also flags the cynical tone of Fifth Estate host Bob McKeown, the use of highly sensationalized re-enactment footage of an underwater search conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police, the observations of interview subjects with no immediate knowledge of the police investigation, and the depiction of missing persons flyers seen floating in the water. Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old who lived on a Laan property, paid over $700 to rent an eight-by-ten foot shedcovered in newspaper littered with cat urine and feces, according to one of the documentswith no insulation, running water, or electricity. When Lawrence realized she hadn't received the cheque, she had a friend who worked at a local law office look into it. Thelma loved the Lord and devoted her life to Christ at an early age. No charges have ever been laid in the disappearance of any of the four seniors. "It's amazing," said Matthews, who has been working on the case since the beginning. Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation. This article was published over a year ago. The Fifth Estate showed Hurley the court documents, which show the date on the charging documents against the Laan family is just days after he received that letter. Siblings Kathrine, Walter, Paul and David Laan had purchased residential homes in the area and operated them as what they described as "Christian retirement homes," with names like Cedar Pines and Fernglen Manor. However, a source with knowledge of the case claims it hasnt been active for years. Smith, J. Frazer (Joseph Frazer), 1897-1957 Publication details: New York : Dover, 1993 Availability: Items available for loan: Main Library (1) Call number: 728.8 SMI . Gated, and marked with No Trespassing and Beware of Dog signs, the property kept Lawrence out of sight of the public. She had a true affection for all young people and amassed an impressive childrens book collection. Another resident of Fern Glen had broken his hip and wasn't mobile. View Tribute Book Read more Events Resources Unique Funeral Options 6 Ways To Thank A Caregiver (and more!) Read more on our About Us page. Writing on behalf of his clients, Manishen says information about the case should remain private until the police investigation is closed. Citing legal examples in which judges ruled against journalists seeking similar access, Manishen argues that the publication of stories containing inadmissible or irrelevant details about his clients that could prejudice prospective jurors and infringe on their right to a fair trial. She was born Aug. 30, 1985, in Latrobe, the daughter of Patricia O'Brien Smith and the late. The Fifth Estate approached David and Walter Laan for comment, and they declined to speak. Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Court documents obtained by The Fifth Estate show that Hurley's father was one of 12 people police say the Laans were stealing money from after they died and in Hurley's case, cashing his pension cheques for four years after he died. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Katherine J. Smith to show support. She was sentenced to nine months in custody. It's just a matter of time. The Ontario Provincial Policedocuments, obtained in court byThe Fifth Estateand the Walrus magazine, were part of a search warrant application filed in a homicide investigation into the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, a localwoman known as The Cat Lady who went missing in Muskoka in the late 1990s. Their disappearances were initially treated as missing persons investigations, but are now considered by police to be homicides. Options 6 Ways to Thank a Caregiver ( and more! also began to she! 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