Kristin Gurholt was 34 when her life ended violently in downtown Vancouver on September 4, 1981. Born in Norway and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, she earned a master’s degree in education, was an accomplished pianist, and was remembered by family as intelligent and creative. She had a son and had moved to Vancouver so she could remain close to him. She was also known by the nicknames Sunny and Misty.

In the early hours of September 4 Kristin was evicted from the Marble Arch Hotel in the Downtown Eastside and was seen sitting on the front steps of 577 Richards Street around 2:00 a.m. She was later observed with an unidentified white man with long brown hair. Her unclothed body was found in the alley behind 575 Richards Street later that morning; her clothing was scattered nearby and a suitcase with personal possessions was recovered. An autopsy reported a fractured skull inflicted with a blunt instrument, and police treated the death as a homicide.

Investigators publicly identified no arrest, charge, or conviction. The long-haired man seen with Kristin has not been publicly identified as a named suspect, and the case remains listed among Vancouver Police Department cold cases. Does anyone have information about Kristin, the long-haired man, or what happened that night?