Suzanne Miller: police launch new campaign to solve 1974 killing of London mother
Police are hoping YouTube video and rolling poster will lead to new tips
The Ontario Provincial Police are turning to new methods in a bid to solve the 44-year-old murder of Suzanne Miller, a London mother of three.
Miller, 25, was last seen leaving her Gammage Street apartment in London's east end on Sept. 16, 1974.
Her badly decomposed body was found almost a month later in a bush lot in Thorndale.
The cause of death was deemed to be blunt-force trauma to her body.
Miller's killer has never been caught.
In a bid to trigger new tips about the case, police are turning to a rolling poster campaign and social media in hopes someone will come forward with new information about one of London's most notorious cold cases.
"We are certain that people who lived in the London area when Suzanne Miller was murdered have information to help us resolve this case," said OPP Det.-Supt Ken Leppert. "We are now providing more opportunities for them to bring that important information forward."
These include a produced YouTube video, which outlines details of the case and includes an interview with the retired officer who investigated her killing.
Miller's photo will also be featured on London buses and on a vinyl-wrapped police minivan that will be parked strategically in various locations.
Case information is also posted on the OPP West region's Facebook page, where police say they welcome comments and any information people may have about the case.
The idea behind the "Find My Killer" campaign is to use new methods, including social media, in hopes of shaking loose new clues in the decades-old murder.
The reward for information that leads to solving the case has also been increased to $50,000.
Leppert would not say whether or not police have any suspects or identified a person of interest in the case.
He said the drive to find Suzanne's killer is not diminished by the decades that have passed since her death.
"We're confident that people who lived in the London area when these crimes occurred may have information on this case," said Leppert. "These people can now access videos from anywhere in the world at any time. We strongly encourage viewers to share the links with their followers on social media."
Miller's killing is a joint investigation of the OPP and the London Police Service.
"The OPP and London Police Service never close an unsolved homicide investigation," said Leppert.
Case facts
- She was last seen leaving that apartment at 26 Gammage St. at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, 1974.
- She was reported missing the next day.
- Her blue 1972 Datsun Fastback was found a few weeks later at Argyle Mall.
- Suzanne's sister Sheila Jack says her sister was an introvert who loved to cook and sew.
- On Oct. 12, 1974, Miller's badly decomposed body was found in Thorndale near the banks of the Thames River. Police, however, believe the murder happened at another location, but they've never been able to determine where she was killed.
- Police say she died of blunt-force trauma to the body.
How to share information
- Police dedicated tip line: 1-844-677-5060.
- Email: SMillertips@opp.ca.
- CrimeStoppers: 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
