Who's who in Season 5: Kerrie Brown

Meet Kerrie's friends and family, as well as other individuals mentioned in the podcast.

SKS Team · Posted: Oct 30, 2018 3:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 30, 2018

This list will be updated over the course of the season.

Kerrie Brown

Kerrie was leaving a house party in Thompson, Man. on Oct. 16, 1986 when she was viciously murdered at the age of 15. (Facebook)

On the night of October 16, 1986, 15-year-old Kerrie Brown disappeared from a house party on Trout Avenue in Thompson. Found less than 40 hours later, she had been sexually assaulted and brutally murdered. Kerrie had just started Grade 10 at R.D. Parker Collegiate at the time of her death. Her case has remained unsolved for over three decades.

Trevor Brown

Trevor Brown, Kerrie's brother, was a year older than Kerrie. They attended the same high school, R.D. Parker. Trevor has been tormented by his sister's unsolved murder and is obsessed with finding the perpetrator. He contacted Someone Knows Something host David Ridgen in the spring of 2017 to see if he would be interested in investigating the case. Trevor lives in Thompson, Manitoba with his father, Jim. He hopes to put the mystery of Kerrie's murder to rest so he can finally move forward with his life.

Jim Brown

Kerrie's father Jim found out about her disappearance the day after she vanished from the party. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Jim Brown is Kerrie's father. He reported Kerrie missing at about 4 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 17, 1986, the day after the house party where she was last seen. The following day, he was asked to identify his daughter's body. Jim has received tips about the case over the years, but none have led to a conviction. Jim lost his wife, Ann, to cancer 15 years after Kerrie's murder. He lives in Thompson, Manitoba with his son, Trevor.

Ian Brown

Ian was four years older than Kerrie. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Ian Brown is Kerrie's half-brother.

Nicole Zahorodny

Kerrie's friend Nicole was the last known person to see her alive before her body was discovered days later. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Kerrie's friend Nicole Zahorodny attended the party on Thursday, Oct. 16, 1986. The two had planned to sleep over at Nicole's house that night. Sometime before midnight, Kerrie decided she wanted to leave. When Nicole realized she had forgotten her purse, she ran back to retrieve it while Kerrie waited. When she returned, Kerrie was gone. The next morning, she informed Kerrie's family that Kerrie had not slept at her house and was missing.

Rhonda Tennant

Rhonda, one of Kerrie's friends, attended the house party with Kerrie. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Kerrie's friend Rhonda Tennant left the party early because her curfew that night was 11 p.m. Around 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. the following morning, Kerrie's mother called Rhonda to see if Kerrie was there. Rhonda informed her that Kerrie had not slept at her house either.

Doug Krokosz

Doug Krokosz was Kerrie's friend who hosted the party where she was last seen. Doug attended the same high school as Kerrie, R.D. Parker, but was a year older. He lived on Trout Avenue, only a couple of blocks away from Nicole Zahorodny, where the girls planned to sleep the night Kerrie went missing. That night, Doug recalls trying to convince Kerrie to wait for Nicole instead of walking home alone. Kerrie asked Doug to find Nicole for her, which he did while Kerrie waited at the stairs. When he returned some time later, Kerrie was gone.

Donna Covic

On Saturday morning, two days after the party, Donna Covic was horseback riding with a friend when they spotted Kerrie's body, about a kilometre from the stables. She checked for vital signs, then called for help.

Sean Simmans

Sean Simmans told police that he saw two vehicles (1970s green/brown muscle car and white van) emerging from the stable road with their lights off on the night Kerrie was killed. With Simmans's help, Police later identified the car's owner and driver as Patrick Sumner, a 22-year-old who lived with his family at the city dump.

Derrick "Grimace" Herkert

Derrick has gone by the nickname "Grimace" — the large purple character from old McDonald's commercials — since he was 15 years old. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Derrick Herkert, Kerrie's friend, also attended the party. His father worked at the same mine as Kerrie's father. After Kerrie's murder, Derrick's car was placed under scrutiny, as it looked very similar to Patrick Sumner's car.

Roland "Rolly" Becker

Rolly operated an auto body shop in Thompson for several years. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Rolly Becker is a longtime resident of Thompson, Manitoba. He owned a body shop in town at the time of Kerrie's murder. Patrick Sumner bought his car from an employee of Rolly's and Trevor's brother Ian Brown bought his from Rolly himself. The day after Kerrie's disappearance, Rolly says he witnessed Patrick Sumner cleaning his car for several hours at the city dump.

"Mad" Max Coombs

Max Coombs owned a car similar to the one seen emerging from the stables. (David Ridgen/CBC)

Max Coombs owned a green muscle car similar to the vehicle witnesses saw coming out of the stable road the night Kerrie was murdered. According to Coombs, he had been driving the car around that night, but was told to take it off the road by police because it was too loud. He says he changed vehicles and drove a red car around town for the remainder of the night. Coombs says he was also passed on the shoulder by a mid-70s brown car that came out of stable road.

Jean Marc Villeneuve

Jean Marc Villeneuve is a former RCMP officer who was with the Thompson detachment at the time of Kerrie Brown's murder. Although he did not play a direct role in the investigation, he was present at the crime scene.

Luella

Luella gave Kerrie's father Jim a note at a local Thompson bar, saying it may help with Kerrie's case.