Hurley made several visits to Cedar Pines to see his father and said he didn't think anything was off at the time. She was also full of sarcasm, wit, was habitually late, and we loved her even more for it. One resident told police he thought he was in a psychiatric hospital because there were 14 people living in the house and only four were able to carry on a conversation. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Another resident told police he had no shower facilities and was told he'd be taken to Fern Glen to shower once a week. The documents show that, on three different properties owned by the Laans near Huntsville, Ontario, many of the residents paid between $400 and $750 a month to rent shared rooms and tiny outbuildings during the 1990s. As we look at Who We Are Now in 2023, help us power the next 20 years of inspiring conversations and fact-checked journalism. They also confirm, for the first time, that police believed at least one of the missing seniors was killed and that a member of the Laan family was responsible. Its thought that Lawrence moved to Huntsville from Barrie, Ontario, in 1963. Her spirit was infectious, and it was hard not to be jealous of the way she approached life. Smith was such a happy person, said Barb Zablotney of Windber, a 2018 Ms. Since her last known arrest in the early 2000s, she has changed the spelling of her name at least six times and altered her physical appearance. In November 1998, before Lawrence could file her report with the OPP, she went missing. 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. She was born December . Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation. In an affidavit filed in June, the OPP investigator currently assigned to the case, Rob Matthews, repeatedly describes it being active and ongoing. You can read the feature Cottage Country Murder here. (Matthews declined to be interviewed.). Two years ago, Katie took a position with Disabilities Options Network, in Greensburg, PA. The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. Visitation will conclude with a. memorial service to celebrate Katies life, with Pastor David Clement of Trinity Lutheran Church of Latrobe officiating. She was a prolific artist, plying her skill at pottery, collage, drawing, and painting. For the stories, The Walrus and The Fifth Estate have petitioned an Ontario court judge to unseal several search warrants executed in the early months of the investigation. In July 2007, Katie became a quadriplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Katie Smith had been working for the Disabilities Option Network in Greensburg as its youth engagement director. Lessons from Fort Jefferson continue to have impact. Katherine Smith passed away at age 84 years old on December 8, 2001. Roger van der Laan. She twice competed in an international, all-female quadriplegic rugby tournament in Paris, France. An OPP detective who went to one property noted the septic system drained directly from the building onto the ground. She was a homemaker and member of South Point Baptist Church formerly Harvest Baptist . TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Detectives had to take him to hospital, where he was admitted because of his poor health. The Ontario Provincial Policedocuments, obtained in court byThe Fifth Estateand the Walrus magazine, were part of a search warrant application filed in a homicide investigation into the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, a localwoman known as The Cat Lady who went missing in Muskoka in the late 1990s. You can contact Joe by email at jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter . There is no photo or video of Katherine Smith.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. . 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. One of those people who died while being cared for by the Laanswas 76-year old John Jefferson (Jeff) Hurley. A spokeswoman with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, Margot White, confirmed in an email that no one by the name of Katherine Smith or Kathrine Smith is registered as a member of the college. Siblings Kathrine, Walter, Paul and David Laan had purchased residential homes in the area and operated them as what they described as "Christian retirement homes," with names like Cedar Pines and Fernglen Manor. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Your sweet mother was truly a Godly woman with a huge heart. The four missing seniors all lived with the Laans prior to their disappearance. Lawrence told the friend that Allen later admitted to her that he had forged her signature and cashed the cheque. Memorial contributions may be made in Katies memory to Three Rivers Adaptive Sports(TRAS): P.O. Katie was born on August 30, 1985, in Latrobe, PA and grew up in Stahlstown, PA, where she was living at the time of her passing with her mother and Patricias partner, Raymond Nelson. She was born December 30, 1986 in Enid, Oklahoma, the daughter of Todd and Terry (Washtak) Smith. Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals at 1958 World Cup, dies, Terry Holland, who transformed Virginia basketball, dies at 80, Kremlin image-maker turned critic Gleb Pavlovsky dies at 71, Betty Boothroyd, first female UK Commons speaker, dies at 93, Charleroi native, CMU grad actress Barbara Bosson dead at 83, Long-lost ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. Funeral arrangement under the care ofBaker-Hazel & Snider Funeral Home. Born April 11, 1931, in Anderson, she was the daughter of the late Bennie and Helen Buzzele Fields. Service map data OpenStreetMap contributors, Friends and family will be received on Sunday, March 6, from 1-4 p.m. at the Snyder-Green Funeral Home; 402 E. Church St.; Ligonier, PA 15658; (724) 238-2611. The documents show Lawrence told friends she was afraid of the Laans. While investigating the disappearances, police also began looking into the conditions of the homes. There are no events at this time. Burial will be private. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 80+ Katherine Smith West Milford, NJ (previously lived in Wanaque, NJ) View Full Report Addresses I was part of a seven-month joint investigation with the CBCs The Fifth Estate that drew on unsealed Ontario Provincial Police files. According to the unredacted documents, her landlords lied about her whereabouts. As such, this individual is not authorized to call herself a naturopath or use the title of doctor, nor is she entitled to practise as a naturopath in Ontario.. Walter, fifty-seven, operates Esto Mechanical, a North Yorkbased heating, refrigeration, and air-conditioning company. Thelma loved the Lord and devoted her life to Christ at an early age. About a week later, his father died. According to court records, the oldest brother, David Laan, has been convicted for breaking and entering and theft. You can read the feature Cottage Country Murder here. Katherine J. Smith April 4, 1940 - February 18, 2023 Share Obituary: 1 Tree has been planted in memory of Katherine Smith. Her sister, Jane Benedict, and, her nephew, Michael Benedict. Twitter for iPhone 3 Likes Rhymes with Pocohontas @rnrolljo Nov 3, 2019 Replying to @True_North__ and @CP24 Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, January 27 at Sullivan-King Mortuary with Rev. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. What Matthews saw in the early days of investigating the homes had him worried for the well-being of the residents who lived there. Allen, along with his nephew David Laan, were the two main suspects in Lawrence's disappearance, according to the police documents. She will deeply be missed. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Joan Lawrence, John Crofts, Ralph Grant and John Semple vanished from retirement homes owned by a local family under what police say are suspicious circumstances. "And she was a very good one, apparently.". She was born Aug. 30, 1985, in Latrobe, the daughter of Patricia OBrien Smith and the late Robert Melville Smith. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Interment will be private. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Walter and Paul pled guilty, and Kathrine was also convicted, though for reasons that have never been disclosed to the public, the charges against David and Karen were dropped. In mid-December 1998, police found the bodies of six of Lawrence's cats with bullets in them during a search of the property where Lawrence was last seen. The shed where Lawrence lived, according to police documents, "did not have toilet facilities, running water or electricity and was not insulated." Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 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. Arrangements entrusted to Life Transitions Burial and Cremation Service Inc. To plant a tree in memory of Katherine SMITH, please visit Tribute Store . Ron Allens age and whereabouts are unknown. Donate to The Walrus today. Mrs. Thelma Louise Cooper Muldrow was born in Florence, South Carolina on February 19, 1955, to the late Robert Christopher Cooper, Sr. and the late Alberta Alexander Cooper. Lawrence disappeared shortly after noticing a tax refund cheque she was expecting never came to her. 269 Belmont Street Waymart, PA KATHERINE SMITH OBITUARY April 29, 1988 - November 14, 2022 It is with a heavy heart and unmeasurable sadness that we announce the death of our 34-year-old. Her son, Ryan Smith, his wife, Brianne Stepanich-Smith, their daughters, Evie and Mazie. Joan Lawrence, the so-called "Cat Lady," lived a hermitic life, spending her pension on cat food and an eight-by-ten-foot, $600-a-month shed. She attended the Valley School of Ligonier from kindergarten through ninth grade and then Mt. She did not view needing a wheelchair to give her mobility as a disadvantage because it gave her so many opportunities, Badger said. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Published on October 4, 2022 Plant a Living Memorial In Memory of Katherine 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. Quite apart from the potential of vigilante justice, Manishen continues, the enhanced public scrutiny of highly dramatized commentary in all forms of media, including the nations public broadcaster, have the potential for reaction at an international level. Stories about his clients could also affect their jobs and give rise to psychological and emotional distress which may continue indefinitely.. 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. Most impressively, she had that exact same personality and character after the accident and through her therapy. The Laans lawyer, Jeffrey Manishen, at that time argued that releasing the documents would "seriously impact" the "privacy and reputational interests of the Laans.". Family linked to disappearance of seniors fights release of police documents. Timmy Blair. Badger said she and Smith made appearances together at the Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center in Pittsburgh, which works with disabled children and their families. This article was published over a year ago. Call Call. According to the documents, she told a social worker to call police if anything happened to her. Around 1994, David, Walter, Paul, and their sister Kathrinewho is not one of Manishens clientsopened a series of retirement homes in Emsdale and Huntsville. She worked diligently with caring and skilled doctors, nurses, and therapists to rebuild her strength and develop skills that would guide her path forward. 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. She loved the many cats with whom she lived through her life and will be missed dearly by her cat Scruffy. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Wanting more space for her cats, Lawrence relocated to the Laan farm, a twenty-eight-hectare property owned by three of the Laan brothers: David, Walter, and Paul. Smiling, she waved at the camera and then drove off. Another point of contention between lawyers is the extent to which the police investigation remains open. "[I hope] we can finally bring justice to the families of those victims," he said. Paul Laan has not responded to a request for comment. 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