In 1997, a couple moved into their newly purchased home in Blind River, Ontario.

They did what any couple does after moving into a new house.

They made it their own.

That included some fresh paint and a few renovations. But when the couple

dug into the old walls they found something that didn't belong there, a clue that would solve a 37 year old murder and bring a

killer to justice. From A&E, this is cold case files.

If you've listened to this podcast before, you probably already know that I'm from a small town.

I'm familiar with how they work, and I know how trusting people in small towns can be.

So, Gormley, Ontario, just north of Toronto, sounds really familiar to me.

In the 1970s, it was the kind of place where people leave their doors unlocked.

Or they used to, until the unthinkable happened, one spring morning.

In May of 1970, former nurse, Doreenby, was busy doing household chores and taking care of her 21-month-old son, when a stranger knocked on her door.

Like any good neighbor, Doreen opened the door to greet the man on her front step.

Several hours later, her husband returned home from his job as a school teacher to find Doreen in a pool of her own blood.

She'd been sexually assaulted and shot to death.

Their baby boy was where she'd left him, in the same room, unharmed.

The gormly community was stunned.

How could something like this happen in a remote corner of their safe little town? Sadly, they would not be the only community impacted by such brutal

violence. Less than two weeks later, and 25 miles away, nine-year-old Dale Ferguson was home sick from school.

His mom Helen stayed home with him. She was also a former nurse, so Dale was in good hands.

But the two weren't home alone together for long.

Here's Dale Ferguson, remembering that horrible day.

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