Two unsolved murders committed weeks apart back in 1988 have been added to the Vancouver Police Department’s cold case website, as investigators seek fresh information that could finally bring the killers to justice.
the website features crime scene photos, news clippings, maps and details that could potentially jog someone’s memories of Lisa Gavin and Glenna “Dusty” Sowan, two friends whose killers have managed to evade law enforcement for decades.
“No homicide case is ever closed until it’s solved, and we know there’s someone out there with information that can help solve these two murders,” Sgt. Steve Addison said in a news release.
“Even the smallest bit of information could lead to a break in these cases and help us catch the killers.”
Gavin was last seen alive shortly before midnight on Aug. 12, 1988, when she left a friend’s apartment near Broadway and St. Catherine’s Street.
The 21-year-old was expected back an hour later, but never returned – and her partially clothed body was later discovered in a lane near Knight Street and East 49th Avenue.
Sowan’s last sighting was on Sept. 29 of that year, at an apartment near East 6th Avenue and George Street. She went out sometime between 1 pm and 5 pm, and her naked body turned up the following day in some bushes near West 24th Avenue and Willow Street.
Gavin is described as white, 123 lbs., 5’2″ tall with hazel eyes and brown hair with bleached tips. She was found wearing a black T-shirt with lace on the sleeves and bottom hem, and the words “Gerry’s Country Inn , Calgary” in blue letters on the front.
Sowan is described as Indigenous, 92 lbs., 5’2″ tall with shoulder-length black hair. The clothing she had been wearing on the night of her murder was never located.
Authorities urged anyone with information on either murder to come forward. Addison said “even the smallest piece of evidence” could help crack the cold cases.