Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Ron Allen was a caretaker there and David Laan was the landlord. Before arriving on the Island, she worked in Toronto as an investigative journalist with CBC's The Fifth Estate, where she received two Canadian Screen Awards, a Michener Award and a National Radio Television Digital News Association Award. Its goal is to create strategies that fulfill journalisms basic pledge: to serve society with a truthful, intelligent and comprehensive account of ideas and events. Katherine J. Smith Obituary We are sad to announce that on February 18, 2023 we had to say goodbye to Katherine J. Smith of Huber Heights, Ohio. 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.. The newly released documentsinclude details about a gun found on the property from which Lawrence disappeared, along with insight into conditions of "care homes" run by the Laan family in the area and information about a forged signature on a tax cheque that police believe was the catalyst in Lawrence's disappearance. Lawrence, known locally as The Cat Lady because she lived in a small, rundown garden shed with 30 or so cats, went missing from a home operated by the Laan family. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. 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. 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.. Timmy Blair. In 1998, the OPP began investigating the conditions of care homes being run by a local family in Muskoka. 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 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. OPP say they think the Laans sought out people who had no family or friends to look out for them. 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. After two decades, the Ontario Provincial Police have received substantial tips that are helping them advance their investigation into what happened to four seniors who disappeared from the province's Muskoka region in the late 1990s, The Fifth Estate has learned. None of the Laans, or their uncle, Ron Allen, reported their residents as missing. Katherine R Smith of Bloomingdale, Passaic County, New Jersey was born on November 20, 1917. Open visitation at 12:30 pm. "I am optimistic that one day we'll be sitting in court and the individuals responsible will have to justify their actions.". Not long after Kathrine was found stealing money from the school, she and three of her brothers all four Laan family members who shared in the ownership of the retirement homes were charged with stealing pension and old age security cheques from residents of homes they operated before and for years after their deaths, at least $100,000 in all. Smith, who was crowned Ms. I was part of a seven-month joint investigation with the CBCs The Fifth Estate that drew on unsealed Ontario Provincial Police files. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. February 18, 2023 The Laans lawyer, Jeffrey Manishen, at that time argued that releasing the documents would "seriously impact" the "privacy and reputational interests of the Laans.". 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. Lessons from Fort Jefferson continue to have impact. A resident at Fern Glen Manor told police the Laans told him he was being taken from SeatonHouse,a homeless shelter in Toronto, to Richmond Hill. VAUGHAN "Our goal is simply to find out what happened to these four souls." Visitation will conclude with a. memorial service to celebrate Katies life, with Pastor David Clement of Trinity Lutheran Church of Latrobe officiating. Online Geometry Tutors Hurley said reflecting back now, he thinks the only reason his father lived as long as he did is because, unlike in many other cases, his father had family to watch out for him. What Matthews saw in the early days of investigating the homes had him worried for the well-being of the residents who lived there. While at Fern Glen, he said he spent all his time in bed. He also told police he heard the "sound of gunshots" around the last time he saw her in the fall of 1998. Approached for comment multiple times byThe Fifth Estate, members of theLaanfamilydeclined to comment. Katherine Marie Smith of Tracyton, WA passed away on March 15, 2022 in Silverdale WA. Another resident of Fern Glen had broken his hip and wasn't mobile. Burial will be private. According to court documents obtained byThe Fifth Estate, Kathrine Laan received a nine-month conditional sentence in connection with some of those thefts. Daughter of the late Earl, Sr. and Alice Grant. Snyder-Green Funeral Home Inc. 402 E Church St. Ligonier, PA KATHERINE SMITH OBITUARY It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Katherine Clare Smith, 36, of Stahlstown,. Though their cheques continued to be cashed, the missing seniors never resurfaced. 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. 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 the school's volunteer treasurer at the time. 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. As we look at Who We Are Now in 2023, help us power the next 20 years of inspiring conversations and fact-checked journalism. With thanks,Jennifer HollettExecutive Director, Updated 13:47, Nov. 27, 2019|Published 5:00, Oct. 13, 2017. Katie had the ability to see you, even when no one else did, and the uncanny talent to relate to every single person she met without hesitation. She had an impeccable sense of humor. The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. None of the Laans, or their uncle, Ron Allen, reported their residents as missing. You can read the feature Cottage Country Murder here. She was a courageous fighter for justice. 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. In addition to new facts, the documents paint a more detailed portrait of previously known individuals. She used everything life gave her to become the best she could be, Badger said. 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. Writing on behalf of his clients, Manishen says information about the case should remain private until the police investigation is closed. Citing legal examples in which judges ruled against journalists seeking similar access, Manishen argues that the publication of stories containing inadmissible or irrelevant details about his clients that could prejudice prospective jurors and infringe on their right to a fair trial. 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. According to the unredacted documents, her landlords lied about her whereabouts. it's to make a difference. Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Write your message of sympathy today. The forms, he said, were to give theLaanspermission to change residents' bank accounts and to have theirchequesdeposited directly. The Walrus is a registered charity with an educational mandate. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Katherine Diane Smith May 11, 1958 - July 11, 2022 Share Obituary: Obituary & Events Tribute Wall 4 Share a memory Plant a tree Obituary Please share a memory of Katherine to include in a keepsake book for family and friends. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Katherine J. Smith to show support. The documents say he approached each resident and asked them if they understood what they had signed. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. "When [my father] did call me, I always got the feeling that there was someone on staff in the room with him," Hurley told The Fifth Estate. I wish I could talk about what I saw in those homes but when this case finally is resolved, I feel those [victims'] families will have justice.". 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 November 14, 2022 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. In late 1998, a resident of one of the homes where Lawrence was living reported to his social worker that he thought she was missing. 4VJSK ilt 4, A -Whlney for . Interment will be private. No charges have ever been laid in the disappearance of any of the four seniors. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. 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. She was born Aug. 30, 1985, in Latrobe, the daughter of Patricia OBrien Smith and the late Robert Melville Smith. Before arriving on the Island, she worked in Toronto as an investigative journalist with CBC's The Fifth Estate, where she received two Canadian Screen Awards, a Michener Award and a National Radio Television Digital News Association Award. The documents state that Kathrine bugged Lawrence to move into Cedar Pines, a residence Kathrine had purchased west of Huntsville. 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. Learn more or change your cookie preferences. (Matthews declined to be interviewed.). In July 2007, Katie became a quadriplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident. Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2013 and was a board member of the local chapter of United Spinal Association. Two years ago, Katie took a position with Disabilities Options Network, in Greensburg, PA. That was inspiring to me, and I am sure it was to all those who encountered her, said DeFlitch, retired executive managing editor of the Tribune-Review. The information contained in the documents has not been tested in court. And her sister, Jillian Mariani. 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. Katherine Smith in Wanaque, NJ We found 100+ records for Katherine Smith in Wanaque, NJ. In November 1998, the OPP began investigating the disappearance of Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old Huntsville resident known as the Cat Lady, who lived on a farm property owned by the Laans. She was a registered nurse, having received an Associate of Science in nursing from Walters State and Bachelor of Science from Tusculum College. The missing piece of the puzzle is out there somewhere and I'm very optimistic that we will find it. However, a source with knowledge of the case claims it hasnt been active for years. Grand Rapids Press Obituaries - Mon, 24 Oct 2022 . Box 38235, Pittsburgh PA 15216 and. He signed all but two of the forms. During the investigation into the disappearance of Lawrence, police also discovered that three other seniors were missing from properties owned by the same family John Semple, 90, John Crofts, 71, and Ralph (Doogie)Grant, 70. 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. OBITUARY Katherine Mae Smith October 11, 1961 - January 11, 2023. 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