Eustace Compass

Eustace Compass was a man who appreciated the finer things in life and took great pride in his possessions, especially his cars and his meticulously kept home. Born in Spalding, Jamaica, he was the youngest of 11 children. At age 43, he was a freelance accountant living alone in a large, two-story house at 3 Oakdale Road in the quiet community of Maple, in Vaughan, Ontario. He had moved to Canada about five years before his death and had no known relatives in the country. To his neighbors and clients, who often dropped off their tax papers at his residence, he was a quiet professional. But Eustace also lived a more private life, frequenting gay bars in Toronto and often bringing young men back to his home.

On the evening of November 6, 1990, Eustace was seen at around 5 p.m. at a Supercentre grocery store in Richmond Hill. He was not alone. With him was a young, white male with blond hair, estimated to be in his 20s and taller than the 5-foot-6 Eustace. A neighbor later reported seeing Eustace driving his distinctive burgundy 1989 Chrysler LeBaron convertible with a young, blond man in the passenger seat. This was the last time anyone reported seeing him alive.

The next morning, November 7, security staff at the Town & Countrye Square Mall, now known as Centrepoint Mall, near Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue in Toronto, discovered the Chrysler LeBaron abandoned in the parking lot. Toronto police identified the vehicle as belonging to Eustace and notified York Regional Police. When officers arrived at his home on Oakdale Road to conduct a wellness check, they found the garage door open. Inside, they made a grim discovery. Eustace Compass was lying naked on his bedroom floor, dead from a single.22-calibre gunshot wound to the head.

The scene suggested a robbery, but it was not a typical one. Several personal items were missing from the home, including a gold tiger eye ring worth about $50, a watch of similar value, his wallet, and a sterling silver tea set. Investigators noted that no big-ticket items had been taken. The nature of the theft, combined with the execution-style killing, left police questioning the motive. Was it a robbery that escalated, a targeted killing disguised as a theft, or something else entirely?

The York Regional Police Homicide Unit immediately launched an investigation. They learned that it was not unusual for Eustace to have young men, often street hustlers aged 17 to 23, staying at his home for days or even weeks at a time, sometimes performing chores or helping with his accounting business. Investigators believed that in the social climate of 1990, fear and homophobia may have prevented potential witnesses within the gay community from coming forward with information. The young blond man seen with Eustace on the night of his murder was questioned by police but never identified, and he remains a person of interest.

Decades passed, but the case was never closed. The York Regional Police Cold Case Unit continued to pursue leads. In 2019, a breakthrough in fingerprint technology provided a potential new avenue, and in November 2020, to mark the 30th anniversary of the homicide, police released a video appealing to the public for new information. In the video, Detective Debbie Gilmour stated, “Even though three decades have passed, there may be someone other than the killer who has information about this case. We hope that someone comes forward to provide some answers for Eustace’s friends and family.”

As of mid-2025, the murder of Eustace Compass remains unsolved. Investigators believe that someone in the community still holds the key to unlocking the truth of what happened that November night. They continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Homicide Unit – Cold Case Section at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7865, or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.