In Loving Memory of Holly Jones

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When the kind of tragedy thats befallen the family of little Holly Jones occurs, police wont let anything stand in their way to find the person responsible. And no one is above suspicion. Which explains why a neighbour of the 10-year-old was taken in for questioning before the girls body had been officially identified on Tuesday.

The man wasnt in handcuffs when officers brought him out, and area residents reveal hes lived on the street for a number of years. Hes a tenant in a basement apartment of a home located about nine doors away from the victim. His questioning was just one of the many inconveniences residents in the area put up with, as the search for the missing girl intensified.

Most didnt mind the hassle, if it would have resulted in a happy ending. But that was not to be. Among the pieces of evidence police seized from the Jones home: a computer. Its expected theyll be checking to see if the victim was online and in any chat rooms before she disappeared.

May 13, 2003

Beyond Anguish

Its been a heartbreaking day for one family in High Park, and by extension, the rest of the city. When 10-year-old Holly Jones failed to return home at 6:30pm Monday night, an eerie feeling began climbing the spines of many in Toronto. That icy reality worsened when the youngster failed to show up for school on Tuesday. And the chills deepened further when the body parts of a child were discovered off Wards Island in the afternoon.

Hollys parents, desperate for a miracle, appeared in public pleading for their daughters safe return. But their cries were in vain. Baby, if you can hear me, you know how much we love you, Maria Jones cried. I'm trying to find you. I'm doing everything And whoever has her, I beg you with all my heart that you keep her and bring her home to her mother and father. You keep her safe. I beg you.

Her father offered a reward for his daughters safe return, but it was a desperate plea that ultimately fell on deaf ears. For the parents, the horror and suddenness of the loss will haunt them for the rest of their lives. And its a terrible 24 hours the city wont soon forget, as well.

May 13, 2003

To Catch A Killer

Theres still so much police wont say or dont know about the death of Holly Jones. But they promise to spare no effort to find the cowardly criminal who abducted and then killed and dismembered the 10-year-old tot.

We're questioning hundreds of people. At the present time we haven't narrowed it down, is all Staff Inspector Gary Ellis (top left) will reveal. We have no specific suspect." But he agrees known pedophiles are high on the list. We've got all kinds of predators out there. In recent history we've become wiser to the various child predators that have been released into the community and we have literally hundreds of them living in our midst that we have to look at, besides the ones we don't know about.

Theres no evidence of whether Holly was sexually assaulted before her death, although Ellis admits theyre waiting for forensics. He also cant explain how the crime could happen so fast in broad daylight in such a populated area. But he has an ominous warning for parents. We have a very dangerous person in our midst, he intones. And we all have to be aware, and certainly know where your children are at all times.

May 13, 2003

Sad Search Ends

Its the news no one wanted to hear but everyone feared the most. Police have confirmed the remains of a young child found at Wards Island Tuesday morning are that of 10-year-old Holly Jones. The search for Holly Jones is a search for her killer, intones a sad Staff Inspector Gary Ellis. We have now identified this person as Holly, and we are throwing everything we can in finding the person or persons responsible for her death.

Jones was last seen around 6:30pm Monday, after escorting a girlfriend home. She never returned to her Bloor and Perth Avenue residence, and by 9pm, her mother became alarmed, and called police. They made a desperate and tearful plea for their daughters safe return, but it was too late.

Police are now hoping the public will come into play, since the child was taken in broad daylight. Theyve also put out an alert for several pieces of luggage and gym bags, which apparently were used to store the body parts.

Hoping For Coping

Students at St. Luigi Catholic Elementary School returned on Wednesday, but one of their own was missing. Holly Jones classmates knew she wouldnt be coming back to see them anymore. And many were near tears, as they contemplated never seeing their best friend again.

Grief counsellors were on hand to help the kids and school staff through their anguish. We're encouraging parents to discuss this tragedy with their children, suggests Toronto Catholic District School Board spokesperson Mary Jo Deighan. We also ask them to watch for signs of any fears and anxieties that their children may experience as a result of our loss and encourage them to bring it to the attention of the professional staff.

But as worried as parents may be about their childrens reaction, they have another palpable fear - whoever killed the 10-year-old is still out there. I have to be very careful, agrees Maria Barros. I wish the police could find him because, you know, it's scary. And theyre trying not to transfer that fear to their kids. My daughter, she wouldn't sleep the whole night, reveals Alem Tesavi. She wakes up every night. Shes very scared. Its a fear thats being felt in homes across the city.

May 14, 2003

Beyond Belief

Its a normally quiet street, but now the silence is deafening. A hush has fallen over the block where 10-year-old Holly Jones lived, played, grew up and was finally taken away forever. Friends and neighbours in the Perth Avenue and Bloor St. area had followed the terrible search all day. And the final revelation that the youngster was dead was almost too much for them to bear.

The look of hope that many tried to keep up during the long hours quickly turned to despair as the reality sank in. When the announcement they most dreaded was finally confirmed, the doors of their houses opened, and people streamed out as fast as their tears, unable to hide their shock and sadness. I didn't get to say bye or anything and give her a hug, nothing, said heartbroken friend Michelle.

Grieving residents hugged each other for support, trying to conceive how their neighbourhood could be visited by such evil. One thing is for certain though, parents in the area will be keeping a close watch on their children. Always take them to school, never let them walk alone, never even let them go to the store. It's not safe. You don't know who is watching and what they are thinking, warned neighbour Nazreen Moursalien.

As for Hollys family, they arrived back at their now empty home Tuesday night, after hearing the worst possible news from police. Theyre in seclusion as they try to cope with a tragedy beyond comprehension.

May 14, 2003

Crying For Justice

They came out alone a loneliness theyll feel for the rest of the lives. The parents of Holly Jones have been secluded in their Sterling Road home since Tuesday night, trying to cope with the worst loss in the world.

But they did come out in public briefly on Wednesday, to have a look at the outpouring of support and grief that neighbours and strangers have both brought to the couples front lawn, as a makeshift memorial to their murdered 10-year-old daughter. Maria Jones, the girls mother, collapsed in tears as she saw the mountain of flowers and notes. She was comforted by her husband, George Stonehouse, and some close neighbours.

The memorial markers began piling up on Tuesday night, not long after police confirmed Holly was gone. Its likely the display will grow in the next few days, as the full impact of what happened continues to sink in across the city.

A trust fund has been set up for Holly Jones' family. Contributions can be made at any Royal Bank branch.

Waves Of Despair

Its not the greatest day to be taking a jump in the lake, but police couldnt wait to get back in the watery depths Wednesday. Their goal: find as much remaining evidence as possible in the hunt for Holly Jones killer.

Divers splashed back into Lake Ontario in various locations at dawns early light, hoping the murderer left something else behind. And those waiting for them to resurface know exactly what theyre looking for. Anything that's been in the water for a length of time has got a green slime on it, explains P.C. Angus Armstrong. We're looking for objects obviously put into the water recently. Again the idea is to take our time, do this meticulously and get the job done right.

But the land is proving just as important as the waves. Teams are scouring the area near Marilyn Bell Park at the Exhibition, where one of the bags holding Hollys dismembered body parts washed up on shore. And theyre literally leaving no stone unturned. We're covering the area going well beyond what you'd normally think, Armstrong points out, to make sure we backtrack ourselves as much as possible.

The Marine Unit is pouring all its resources into the hunt for clues. At least 12-14 vessels, encompassing around 50 officers, are wandering the waves, hoping to make a key find.

May 14, 2003

Chief Concerns

Julian Fantino admits theres a monster loose on the streets of Toronto and hes determined to catch him. The Chief assures his men are doing everything they can to try and find the man who killed and dismembered 10-year-old Holly Jones. And he believes a combination of their efforts and tips from the public will eventually solve the crime.

I just want to absolutely assure the community that we're not missing a beat on this case, the Chief promises. But there is a very sincere and dogged determination on the part of our men and women as there is on my part, to bring closure to this very heinous crime.

Fantino is furious theres no national Sex Offender Registry that could better help them track those living in Hollys community. We have a monster or monsters in our community who have perpetrated this heinous crime on a defenceless innocent little girl, he condemns. And I think this cries out for a revisit of things we're prepared to do as a society to protect our children from these horrible realities and we can't avoid facing up to them.

The Best Evidence

Theres a time-tested truism for homicide investigators: the more time that passes before the discovery of a murder victim, the less likely police are to solve the case. Thats why investigators are so optimistic in the search for Holly Jones killer. The 10-year-old was gone less than 24 hours before her remains were found along the lakeshore. And that has detectives hoping theyll find their man just as fast.

The best clue so far? The containers used to dispose of the body parts of the young victim. One is a black Lynx gym bag with white lettering, a picture of a Lynx on it that says Lynx,' Staff Inspector Gary Ellis reveals. The other is a Cherokee black carry-on luggage suitcase with a pull-out handle and roll-on wheels and it's got a grey decal on it that says Cherokee. The Lynx bag was sold at Zellers stores in the G.T.A.

Police think their quick discovery could job some memories, and is making the killer nervous. They did not intend for these items to be found so quickly, Ellis believes. From the investigative standpoint, this has to be causing this person, the killer, to be very, very nervous right now.

Sad Details

Now that the initial shock has begun to wear off, and the grief and devastation over the murder of 10-year-old Holly Jones has set in, the What ifs? begin.

Everyone wonders if and how she could have been protected from the predator that claimed her life.

She disappeared on Monday evening after walking a friend home, who lived near her own house. Now that friends mom - Teresa Araujo says she offered to give Holly a ride back home. But the young girl told Araujo that shed be just fine by herself. She said she planned to go straight home because she was eager to go to the mall that night with her mom.

Araujo watched the child walk south on Perth toward Bloor. She was the last known person to see the 10-year-old alive.

Meanwhile, police are telling parents to keep a watchful eye on their children as they look for the killer. We have a very dangerous person in our midst, said Staff Inspector Gary Ellis. This is a serious case of a predator who has preyed on the weakest person in our society, a child.

May 14, 2003

Search For A Killer

Officers continue to work hard to find the person who killed 10-year-old Holly Jones.

The young childs remains were located in two spots on Tuesday morning first at Wards Island and later near the Exhibition grounds. Police say theyre putting all they have into finding her killer. We'll be going out to the areas where we discovered the packages from yesterday and we'll be expanding our searches from there, explained P.C. Angus Armstrong. We're putting dive team members in the water today and basically searching those areas, expanding out from there. Along with that, we'll be putting a tremendous amount of boats out in the water and again do lots of surface searching, shoreline search. We'll cover the whole area.

Two gym bags held Holly's remains. One was a black Lynx gym bag, the other was a carry-on luggage suitcase with a gray decal on it that says Cherokee.

The last time Holly was seen alive was at 6:30pm Monday near her home on Sterling Avenue.

Killer Mistakes

Whoever killed Holly Jones didnt commit the perfect crime. Toronto Police believe the murderer who took the 10-year-old's life is running scared. And theyre sure the culprit has good reason to feel that way.

This person has made mistakes, assures Staff Inspector Gary Ellis. And eventually we will catch them. I suggest that perhaps they may want to give us a call. This did not turn out the way they envisioned. They did not intend for Holly to be found as fast as she was or at all. We found her. We found evidence relating to them and we are working hard to find them. One of the ways theyre doing that is to hunt through the list of 200 sex offenders who live in the neighbourhood. Were not saying she was sexually assaulted, but you certainly look into the motivation of these types of crimes, and that is very often the motive, he agrees.

Still, Ellis admits his teams havent come up with any new evidence during their searches on Wednesday. But he thinks that will change. There is really two ways that murderers get caught, he points out. And that's by people who care coming forward and giving us information Well, we have no lack of information coming in in this particular case.

Ferry Findings

Could a man carrying a black duffle bag be the key to solving the murder of Holly Jones? Police are hoping he is, and have issued two descriptions of two men seen getting off the Island ferry on Tuesday morning. Its believed witnesses gave authorities what could be their best clue yet in finding the man who kidnapped, killed then dismembered the 10-year-old, as she left a friends house Monday night.

[There were] two men described differently at different times who took the ferry over to the Island, explains Staff Inspector Gary Ellis. Both males were not known as regular riders of the ferry to Ward's Island and both of them were carrying luggage described as being similar to the luggage that we have found.

The description of the first man is:

White,

55-60,

Heavy set,

Grey hair,

Balding,

Moustache,

Wearing a yellow shirt or sweater, khaki green pants

He was seen getting off the ferry between 7-7:30am.

The second description is remarkably similar, leading many to believe it may be the same person. But for now, authorities are acting as if theres two of them.

That second description reads:

White,
50-60,
Greying hair,
6,
Heavy set,
Well dressed, wearing a grey trench coat.

He got off the ferry around 8am

Both men were seen carrying a large black duffle bag with two straps, and pulling a black luggage case on wheels. Investigators have recovered the bags that contained Hollys remains, and may feel the similarity and the proximity add up to a match. But the sleuths arent willing to go that far publicly. The two men on the ferry docks are considered to be persons of interest, explains Inspector Brian Raybould. Were asking that the two of them come forward to assist us with their inquiries.

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