There is no photo or video of Katherine J. Smith.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. She can be reached at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca. San Francisco Bay. What Matthews saw in the early days of investigating the homes had him worried for the well-being of the residents who lived there. About a week later, his father died. (34 years old). The Fifth Estate approached David and Walter Laan for comment, and they declined to speak. For tips about this story or any other, contact Lisa Mayor at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca or Timothy Sawa at timothy.sawa@cbc.ca. Gated, and marked with No Trespassing and Beware of Dog signs, the property kept Lawrence out of sight of the public. As Cathy directed, cremation has taken place. Despite considerable media attention in the case, Manishen is the first person to speak publicly on behalf of the Laans and their uncle, none of whom responded to repeated interview requests. She was predeceased by : her parents, Robert Brown and Elva Brown; her sons, Robert and Charles Curtis; and her sister Barbara Howard. Part of a seven-month joint investigation with CBCs The Fifth Estate, the feature delved into recently unsealed police files to try to answer a question that has obsessed detectives for nearly two decades: What happened to four seniors who went missing in Ontarios Muskoka area in the 1990s? According to the documents, adetectiveon the case also interviewed a pastor whom theLaansasked to go to Fern Glen to act as a witness as documents were signed by residents. Martin Funeral Home Phone: (205) 755-3550 1300 4th Ave . Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Hurley received a letter from Kathrine Laan shortly after his father died, saying that his father had become like family to them and that they loved him. Within the next five years after the documents were written, members of theLaanfamily were charged and convicted of stealing and defrauding pension and old age security cheques from some of the residents who lived at their properties, including three of the four who disappeared. I wrote about the cold case for this magazine last fall. Another point of contention between lawyers is the extent to which the police investigation remains open. Katherine, the only daughter of James "B" and Pauline Jenkins, was born on August 30, 1953. . One resident told police he noticed that he wasn't receiving any of his cheques in the mail as he normally did, and that he didn't remember signing any documents allowing the Laans access to his money. Katherine Fields Smith, 91, of Anderson, and widow of the late Joel B. Smith, Jr., passed away Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at Iva Post-Acute Care. KATHERINE MARIE LEIKER Katherine Marie "Katie" Leiker, 36 and Emmett James Leiker, her unborn son, of Munjor, Kansas died Friday, February 17, 2023 at their home. The care homes were described in promotional material as "Christian Retirement Homes," with names like Cedar Pines and Fern Glen Manor. Arrangements entrusted to Life Transitions Burial and Cremation Service Inc. To plant a tree in memory of Katherine SMITH, please visit Tribute Store . The Laans reportedly said it was against their religion to eat meat, so meals consisted of hard-boiled eggs and Kraft Dinner three times a day. The forms, he said, were to give theLaanspermission to change residents' bank accounts and to have theirchequesdeposited directly. Several of the family members who ran the homes have criminal records. Though their cheques continued to be cashed, the missing seniors never resurfaced. Lawrence told the friend that Allen later admitted to her that he had forged her signature and cashed the cheque. When Hurley inquired with the Canada Pension Plan about his father's survivor benefits paid to the next of kin to assist with the costs of a funeral, he was told that the payout had been made to "the other applicant.". The documents show in detail investigators theories' about the 77-year-old's disappearance, which police believe took place between mid-October and mid-November 1998. Asked about the disappearances of Joan Lawrence, John Semple, John Crofts, and Ralph Grant, she replied, Fake news, sir, and climbed into the drivers seat of a dark blue Volvo. After sources told me she was living in my home community, I discovered her renting a nondescript bungalow 900 metres from the Bracebridge, Ontario, police detachment. Obituary. Charges against David Laan were withdrawn. Visitation will conclude with a memorial service to celebrate Katies life, with Pastor David Clement of Trinity Lutheran Church of Latrobe officiating. They wanted his impressions of the Laan family and the care homes. Her son, Ryan Smith, his wife, Brianne Stepanich-Smith, their daughters, Evie and Mazie. A private investigator hired by the CBC in 2017 was unable to locate Kathrine, now fifty-four. But we didn't do any digging beyond that.". She will be dearly missed by all. We know that Eric M Didocha, Steve D Didocha, and seven other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame.The phone number (248) 273-3763 (Ameritech Michigan) is Katherine's According to the documents, she told a social worker to call police if anything happened to her. A memorial gathering is being held to celebrate the life of Kathy Smith at Horan & McConaty on Thursday December 16th, 2021 at 1:00 pm. During her career as an advocate, she was invited to the United Nations to participate in a summit hosted by the Humanity and Inclusion organization, was a presenter for the Dan Miller Disability and Mental Health Summit and attended the Harkin International Disability Summit. And there was never a time that she allowed anything to stop her from doing what she loved. She will deeply be missed. . m, 41 Matt twelfth Kraal mroit. Police believed an elderly woman who disappeared in Ontario's cottage country two decades ago was killed to "prevent her from reporting frauds, thefts, mistreatment and neglect she was enduring" from her landlords, according to documents recently obtained by The Fifth Estate. She attended the Valley School of Ligonier from kindergarten through ninth grade and then Mount Pleasant Area High School from where she graduated in 2003. What initially seemed to be tragic misfortune would instead become the beginning of 15 years of perseverance, inspiration, and accomplishment. The documents reveal new details from a police source who lived on the same property as Lawrence who told officers he saw a backhoe being operated after dark around the time she disappeared. Write your message of sympathy today. VAUGHAN "Our goal is simply to find out what happened to these four souls." A true individual and unlike anyone we have ever met or will ever meet. The Problem With Wokeness as a Political Strategy. Memorial contributions may be made in Katies memory to Three Rivers Adaptive Sports(TRAS): P.O. "[Kathrine] was a con artist," Hurley said after realizing the letter and the date they began stealing his money were almost identical. Born April 11, 1931, in Anderson, she was the daughter of the late Bennie and Helen Buzzele Fields. She can be reached at lisa.mayor@cbc.ca. OBITUARY Katherine Mae Smith October 11, 1961 - January 11, 2023. She was too good for all of us, and we are beyond blessed to have her friendship. She did not view needing a wheelchair to give her mobility as a disadvantage because it gave her so many opportunities, Badger said. He said later that he couldn't recall where he shot them or where they are now, but knew whenhe killed them. Another resident of Fern Glen had broken his hip and wasn't mobile. Detectives had to take him to hospital, where he was admitted because of his poor health. She was a regular and enthusiastic participant in The Moth Live Storytelling series in Pittsburgh. Her coach, Jerry DeFlitch of East Huntingdon, recalled that Smith was a joy to coach and that she always worked hard. OPP say they think the Laans sought out people who had no family or friends to look out for them. "It's amazing," said Matthews, who has been working on the case since the beginning. He initially said he scared them in to the bush or that people fishing in the lake adjacent to the property had killed them. Around 1994, David, Walter, Paul, and their sister Kathrinewho is not one of Manishens clientsopened a series of retirement homes in Emsdale and Huntsville. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Katherine Smith of Union Dale, Pennsylvania, who passed away on November 14, 2022 at the age of 34. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. July 14, 1937 - February 17, 2023. "Occasionally I would get a phone call from Kathrine or occasionally I would call her to give me the rundown on him," he said. Write your message of sympathy today. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Smith pursued her love of sports by skiing and playing rugby, curling and bocce, Zablotney said. A former freelance copywriter for Chatelaine and the Toronto Star, she survived off an $800-a-month pension income and drifted between boarding houses and shelters after a fire destroyed her house in 1994around the time the Laans opened their first retirement home. "I believe [Joan] Lawrence's death occurred to prevent her from reporting frauds, thefts, mistreatment and neglect she was enduring at the hands of [her landlords] David Laan and Ron Allen," OPP Det.-Const. The Walrus sparks conversations about Canada and its place in the world through our award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, events, podcasts, and content solutions. She was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers quadriplegic rugby team since 2008, competing in tournaments throughout the country. She is also survived by other relatives and friends. The Walrus is a registered charity with an educational mandate. Obituary. One of the first residents who spoke to police said he only had rice and pasta to eat and was paying $700 per month tolive at FernGlen. She is survived by : her parents, Gary Smith and Diana Smith of Langhorne, PA; her step-parents, Kim and Lance; her siblings, Chelsea Perez and Jason Smith (Jillian); and her grandmothers, Caroline Walker and Kathleen Smith. Celebrate the life of Katherine Smith, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information. Katie Smith of Stahlstown did not let a car accident that left her paralyzed stop her from living life the way she wanted, from continuing to play sports here and abroad to being a positive impact in peoples lives, according to her friends. Paul Laan has not responded to a request for comment. A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 12:00 p. . David, Walter, Walters wife, Karen, Paul, and Kathrine were eventually charged in relation to the theft of residents government benefit chequesincluding cheques belonging to three of the missing seniors. She graduated cum laude from Seton Hill University in 2012 with a BA in Psychology and with Elementary and Special Education Certificates. Despite evidence that included testimony from another resident on the propertyfifty-seven-year-old Allan Marshall, who said he heard gunshots and saw a backhoe being operated around the time of his neighbours disappearancepolice have never charged anyone in the Lawrence case. You can contact Joe by email at jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter . "She had stated that she did not trust them and to call the police if anything ever happened to her," the police documents from an interview with a friend say. "I'd like to describe what I saw, but I can't because it's a point of evidence. National President. Katherine Marie Smith of Tracyton, WA passed away on March 15, 2022 in Silverdale WA. Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old who lived on a Laan property, paid over $700 to rent an eight-by-ten foot shedcovered in newspaper littered with cat urine and feces, according to one of the documentswith no insulation, running water, or electricity. Ron Allens age and whereabouts are unknown. More than two decades later, CBC Podcasts has found Lawrence's family. Timmy Blair. He signed all but two of the forms. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Smith had played soccer in high school. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Now, after continuing the court battle to have the documents uncensored,The Fifth Estateand The Walrus were successful in having them released fully unredacted. There are no events at this time. Surviving are her daughters: Delores Burdette (Johnny) of Anderson and Christina Cookie Smith (Tony) of Belton; five grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. "And she was a very good one, apparently.". Join Facebook to connect with Kathy Laan and others you may know. He told police there was a chance he did it while drunk, as the Laans often brought their residents some recovering alcoholics rye and beer to drink. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. Manishens objections will also be heard then. David Laan, who is now sixty, is believed to work at George Brown College in Toronto. She. No charges have ever been laid in the disappearance of any of the four seniors. Upgrade now. Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2013, was an amazing person who worked with youth who had disabilities, giving them hope that they can do what they wanted to do with their life, said her friend, Josie Badger of New Castle, who was Ms. Smith, who was crowned Ms. She courageously battled an illness and died in the hospital at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, PA. She was the beloved daughter of Patricia OBrien Smith and the late Robert Melville Smith; loving sister of Patrick M. Smith and the late Timothy O. Smith; cherished granddaughter of the late Anne Thompson Smith, the late Janet McKenna OBrien and the late Harry C. OBrien; niece of Emily Smith, Philip Smith and Dennis OBrien; cousin of Derek OBrien, Courtney OBrien, Jeremy Smith, Rebecca Smith, Kyle OBrien, and Kelsey OBrien. The youngest brother, Paul, teaches English at a private university in metropolitan Seoul. 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