Toronto Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith of the force's homicide and missing persons unit cold case section speaks during a press conference in Toronto on Monday November 28, 2022. Toronto police arrested a 61-year-old man in the DNA-linked cold-case murders of Gilmour and Susan Tice, who were found dead in their homes within months of each other almost four decades ago. The case will return to court next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ChrisÂ
Toronto Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith of the force's homicide and missing persons unit cold case section speaks during a press conference in Toronto on Monday November 28, 2022. Toronto police arrested a 61-year-old man in the DNA-linked cold-case murders of Gilmour and Susan Tice, who were found dead in their homes within months of each other almost four decades ago. The case will return to court next week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ChrisÂ
TORONTO - The case of a man charged in the murders of two Toronto women who were found dead nearly 40 years ago will return to court next week.
Joseph George Sutherland, 61, appeared briefly in court Friday via video from the Toronto South Detention Centre and said he had applied for legal aid but his request was still pending.
The case was put over to Dec. 16 for Sutherland to provide an update on his legal aid application.
Police announced last week that Sutherland had been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice, who were found dead in their homes within four months of each other in 1983.
Interim police chief James Ramer had said both women were sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.
Investigators said advances in genetic technology helped them crack the cold cases.
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Dec. 9, 2022.
