Lori Zwicker

In the summer of 1979, 15-year-old Lori Zwicker was navigating life as a teenager in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean, Ontario. That summer would be her last. Her life was cut short in a crime that has remained unsolved for decades, leaving a permanent scar on the community and a family without answers.

Lori, a female, was last seen on the evening of July 25, 1979. She was standing at a bus stop on Merivale Road, near her home on Brookdale Street. It’s believed she was talking with a man just before she vanished. In the weeks that followed her disappearance, police received more than 100 leads. There were potential sightings reported by CN rail employees who thought they saw her at the train station, and an Air Canada teller believed she might have sold a ticket to Edmonton to a girl resembling Lori. As weeks turned into months with no word, police grew increasingly concerned, noting that it was unusual for a runaway to not make contact with at least one person.

The search came to a tragic end on November 18, 1979. Four children playing in a wooded area behind St. Monica’s Church on Pineglen Crescent, a spot sometimes known as a local lovers' lane, made a devastating discovery. In a water-filled gulley, they found the badly decomposed remains of a young girl, lying face-down. Dental records soon confirmed the body was that of Lori Zwicker.

An autopsy revealed the violent nature of her death. Lori’s skull and jaw had been fractured, severe injuries that pointed to a homicide. However, the official cause of death was determined to be drowning. The Nepean Police, the agency that originally handled the case before it was absorbed into the Ottawa Police Service, launched a murder investigation.

The case drew immediate and widespread grief. An emotional memorial service was held at Bethany Baptist Church, where around 400 of Lori’s friends and classmates gathered to mourn her. The confusion and anger felt by the community were captured in the words of Reverend Donald Fraser, who said, “We are confused. We are angry. We loathe for answers that are not there.”

Investigators at the time noted troubling similarities between Lori’s murder and other unsolved cases in the region. The specific injuries—a fractured skull and jaw—were a hallmark seen in the killings of other teenage girls. Police considered possible links to the 1971 murder of 16-year-old Christine Walkowiak, whose body was found near North Gower three months after she went missing, and the 1973 death of 16-year-old Betsy Lancaster, who was found at a landfill in Hull. Authorities noted that all three girls were known to hitchhike, a common practice for young people in that era.

Despite the investigation and hundreds of interviews, no suspect has ever been arrested or charged in connection with Lori Zwicker’s death. Over the years, the case has grown cold, though police have occasionally re-examined the evidence. At one point, investigators considered the possibility that her death could have been an accidental fall, but the severe head injuries make that a difficult theory to sustain.

As of a review of Ottawa cold cases in December 2025, Lori Zwicker's murder remains unsolved, with no identified suspects. The file is now in the hands of the Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit. Police continue to seek information that could finally bring justice for Lori and provide closure for her loved ones. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Homicide Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493, or to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.