In the quiet town of Hamilton, Ontario, a gruesome discovery awaited five children on a weekend hike in March 1946. The Weaver boys and their young neighbors stumbled upon the torso of a man while exploring the wooded slope near Mountain brow Boulevard. Their quick thinking to flag down a passing motorist led to the immediate involvement of Ontario Provincial Police, who launched a murder investigation that would captivate the entire nation.

The case initially puzzled investigators. With the victim's head, arms, and legs missing, authorities speculated about connections to local gang activity. However, as the investigation unfolded, it revealed a story far stranger than anticipated, centering around a woman named Evelyn Dick. Born to Scottish immigrants in 1920, Dick lived an unexpectedly lavish lifestyle despite her bus driver father's modest income. Her ability to attend private schools and navigate Hamilton's high society would become a significant element in the shocking events that followed.

Key Takeaways

A dismembered torso discovered by children in Hamilton in 1946 launched a murder investigation that captured Canada's attention.
Initial theories about gang connections gave way to a more bizarre case centered around Evelyn Dick.
Evelyn Dick's unusual upbringing and social mobility through relationships with wealthy men formed a crucial backdrop to the unfolding mystery.

The Weaver Children's Mountain Find

The Morning Trail Adventure

On March 16, 1946, five children embarked on what would become a memorable journey through Hamilton, Ontario. The expedition was led by 13-year-old Jimmy Weaver, who guided his brothers—11-year-old Robert and 9-year-old Fred—along with neighbor children David Reed (11) and his sister Faith (8). Their adventure began at a transit stop near the Weaver family home on Herkimer Street, where they boarded a city bus heading east.

The group traveled approximately four miles to Mountain Drive Park before continuing on foot. They walked nearly three miles along Mountain Brow Boulevard, enjoying the scenic route before splitting into two smaller groups. Jimmy stayed with the Reed siblings in a field on the western side of the highway while his younger brothers ventured eastward over the ridge.

A Shocking Find on the Mountain Slope

The peaceful outing took an unexpected turn when Robert and Fred Weaver called urgently for their older brother. Upon hearing their cries, Jimmy instructed the Reed children to wait with his brothers while he investigated the situation downslope. Within minutes, he returned with alarming news that prompted immediate action.

The children formed a human barricade across the road, standing at arm's length to flag down passing motorists. Their strategy proved effective when a car stopped just five minutes later. Jimmy quickly approached the couple inside and explained their discovery, convincing the man to follow him down the slope.

The gravity of the situation became clear when the man returned and instructed his companion to drive into town for police assistance. Soon after, Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Carl Pharaoh and Constable Leonard Maddock arrived at the scene. What they found launched a murder investigation that would captivate all of Canada.

Approximately 30 feet below the mountain's brow lay the torso of a middle-aged man. The victim's head, arms, and legs were missing, with the remains positioned in a way that suggested the body had been thrown from a vehicle. Dr. Isaac Crack, the city coroner, believed the remains had been carried to the edge before being deliberately tossed over, possibly months earlier during winter.

The precise dismemberment led authorities to suspect the work of an experienced perpetrator. This grim discovery by the Weaver children would soon unravel a bizarre case involving a woman named Evelyn Dick, ultimately revealing a truth stranger than fiction.

Swift Action and Crime Scene Management

Police Barricade and Emergency Response

The discovery unfolded when Jimmy Weaver, the 13-year-old leader of a weekend hike with four younger children, found something disturbing. After Jimmy's brothers Robert (11) and Fred (9) spotted something strange down a slope, Jimmy investigated and quickly organized the children into an improvised roadblock. The five youngsters spread themselves at arm's length across Mountain Brow Boulevard, hoping to flag down passing motorists. Within five minutes, their effort succeeded when a car stopped before reaching their human barricade. Jimmy explained the situation to the couple in the vehicle. The male passenger accompanied Jimmy to verify the discovery, and upon seeing what had alarmed the children, he instructed his companion to drive into town and contact authorities.

Ontario Police Investigation Begins

Sergeant Carl Pharaoh and Constable Leonard Maddock from the Ontario Provincial Police arrived promptly at the scene. The officers immediately recognized the gravity of the situation upon viewing what the children had discovered: the torso of a well-developed man estimated to be in his late 30s or early 40s. The remains were found approximately 30 feet down the wooded slope from Mountain's edge. The victim's arms, legs, and head were missing from the scene.

Initial police assessment suggested the body had been thrown from a vehicle and rolled down the embankment, possibly having been there for several weeks. Dr. Isaac Crack, the city coroner, offered a slightly different theory, suggesting the remains had been carried to the ridge before being deliberately thrown over. He also noted the body might have been there since early winter.

The dismemberment appeared to be the work of an experienced individual, with two bullet holes visible in the right side of the chest. This professional execution initially led investigators to consider potential connections to organized crime, specifically wondering if the remains belonged to missing bootlegger Rocko Perry or represented gang-related violence. This theory, while reasonable given the circumstances, would soon give way to a far more unusual case centered around a woman named Evelyn Dick.

The Victim and Mysterious Circumstances

Body Discovery and Initial Assessment

On March 16, 1946, a group of five children made a gruesome discovery while hiking near Mountain Drive Park in Hamilton, Ontario. Thirteen-year-old Jimmy Weaver, who was leading his brothers and neighboring children on a weekend excursion, heard his younger siblings calling after they ventured down a wooded slope. Upon investigation, Jimmy found something concerning enough to organize the children into a human roadblock to flag down passing motorists.

A couple stopped their car, and after seeing what disturbed the children, the man instructed his companion to alert authorities. Ontario Provincial Police Officers Sergeant Carl Pharaoh and Constable Leonard Maddock quickly arrived at the scene and launched a murder investigation. What they discovered was shocking—the torso of an adult male positioned approximately 30 feet down from the mountain's edge.

The remains were missing the head, arms, and legs. Based on the positioning, investigators initially believed the body had been thrown from a vehicle on the road above, rolling down to its final resting place. Dr. Isaac Crack, the city's coroner, suggested the body had been deliberately carried to the embankment before being discarded, and noted it might have been there since early winter.

Forensic Analysis and Crime Scene Details

The victim appeared to be a well-developed man in his late 30s or early 40s. Examination revealed two bullet holes in the right side of the chest, indicating the cause of death. Dr. Crack told The Hamilton Spectator that the dismemberment showed signs of being "the work of an experienced person," suggesting someone with anatomical knowledge or previous experience.

Key forensic observations:

Age estimation: Late 30s to early 40s
Cause of death: Gunshot wounds (two) to the right chest
Body condition: Torso only, professional dismemberment
Time of death: Potentially several weeks prior, possibly dating back to early winter

The professional nature of the dismemberment immediately raised concerns among investigators that this wasn't an isolated crime but potentially something more sinister.

Identity and Characteristics of the Remains

The torso discovered by the children presented investigators with significant challenges in identification. With no head, limbs, or identifying marks immediately visible, authorities had to rely on the physical characteristics of the torso itself for initial assessments. The body appeared to be that of a well-built male, suggesting someone who had been physically active or maintained good health.

The meticulous nature of the dismemberment indicated the perpetrator had either medical knowledge or experience with anatomy. This level of precision suggested premeditation and an attempt to complicate identification efforts. Additionally, the advanced decomposition made determining the exact time of death difficult, though Dr. Crack estimated the body had been exposed to the elements for an extended period.

The investigators faced several immediate questions:

Who was this individual?
When exactly had he been killed?
Was this a targeted killing or random act of violence?
Why dismember the body rather than conceal it completely?

These questions would later lead to one of the most notorious criminal cases in Canadian history, centering around a woman named Evelyn Dick.

Potential Link to Gangster Disappearances

Initial police theories quickly focused on possible connections to organized crime. The professional dismemberment and execution-style gunshot wounds aligned with typical gangland murder methods. Investigators specifically considered whether the remains might belong to Rocko Perry, known as "the King of the Bootleggers," who had mysteriously vanished two years earlier.

The timing was significant, as Hamilton had experienced periods of gang warfare during the preceding years. Police speculated this could represent either:

The discovery of Perry's body after two years of searching
A retaliatory killing by Perry's associates against rivals
The resumption of gang conflicts that had temporarily subsided

The Hamilton area had a history of bootlegging and organized crime activities dating back to Prohibition. These criminal enterprises often resulted in disappearances and unsolved murders, making the gangland theory plausible to investigators.

However, as the investigation progressed, authorities would discover that the truth behind this grisly murder was far more bizarre than their initial theories suggested. The case would eventually lead them to Evelyn Dick, a woman whose background and connections had nothing to do with traditional organized crime but would prove equally shocking to the Canadian public.

Evelyn Dick: A Pivotal Figure

The Woman Behind the Mystery

Evelyn Dick entered the world on October 13, 1920, born to Scottish immigrants Donald and Alexandra McLean in Hamilton, Ontario. Despite her father's modest occupation as a Hamilton Street Railway bus driver, she somehow lived well beyond what such a family income should have permitted. This discrepancy between her apparent wealth and her family's actual means created an air of intrigue around her from an early age.

Her life took an unexpected turn when she became entangled in a shocking investigation that began on March 16, 1946. That fateful day, a group of children discovered a man's torso on a wooded slope near Mountain Brow Boulevard. This gruesome finding would eventually lead authorities directly to Evelyn Dick.

Her Remarkable Social Position

What made Evelyn particularly noteworthy was her unexplained social status. Despite coming from working-class roots, she:

Wore expensive, fashionable clothing
Attended exclusive private schools
Maintained connections with Hamilton's elite social circles

Her academic performance at her prestigious school was unremarkable, but her physical attributes opened doors that would normally remain closed to someone of her economic background. This social mobility appeared deliberate rather than accidental.

Evidence suggests her mother Alexandra played an instrumental role in Evelyn's social climbing, reportedly arranging "dates" with older, affluent men. This maternal guidance gradually transformed into what some contemporaries described as a professional arrangement.

Notable Public Descriptions:

Toronto Star's Joe Thomas labeled her a "well-known party girl"
Edward Butts of the Canadian Encyclopedia wrote about Alexandra actively encouraging Evelyn to leverage her appearance

This unusual social positioning would later prove crucial when Evelyn found herself at the center of a criminal investigation that captivated not just Hamilton but the entire nation of Canada.

Evelyn's Background and Formative Years

Family Origins and Immigrant Roots

Evelyn McLean was born on October 13, 1920, to Donald and Alexandra McLean, Scottish immigrants who had settled in Hamilton, Ontario. Her father worked as a bus driver for the Hamilton Street Railway, placing the family firmly in the lower middle class of society. Despite these modest beginnings, Evelyn's childhood was notably different from what might have been expected for someone of her background. Rather than experiencing the typical financial limitations of a bus driver's daughter, she enjoyed privileges that seemed inconsistent with her family's apparent means.

The Transformation from Modest Beginnings to Social Prominence

Evelyn's life took an unusual trajectory as she matured. Despite her working-class origins, she somehow acquired fine clothing and attended prestigious private educational institutions rather than the public schools typical for children from similar backgrounds. Her academic performance at these elite schools was unremarkable, but her physical appearance and charisma opened doors that would otherwise have remained closed. As she entered young adulthood, Evelyn began circulating in Hamilton's upper social circles, forming connections with wealthy and influential individuals.

This social elevation appeared to be actively encouraged by her mother, Alexandra, who recognized potential advantages in her daughter's attractive appearance. According to historical accounts, Alexandra began arranging meetings between Evelyn and older, affluent men—encounters that eventually evolved into a pattern of financially beneficial relationships. By her early twenties, Evelyn had established herself as a recognized figure in Hamilton's elite social scene, far removed from the modest circumstances of her birth. Her transformation from a bus driver's daughter to a woman who moved confidently among the city's social elite would later become a significant factor in the dramatic events that would eventually capture national attention.

The Torso Murder Case: Evelyn Dick and Ontario's Most Gruesome Crime