What Happened to Susan Tice? 2024 Update & Background

Susan Tice, a dedicated family therapist and mother of four, led a life marked by compassion and a commitment to helping others. Her life, full of potential and service, was tragically cut short in the summer of 1983 in Toronto. This profile seeks to honor her legacy by detailing her personal background, her professional endeavors, the circumstances of her untimely death, and the subsequent resolution of her case decades later.

Personal and Professional Background

Susan Tice was born and raised in a nurturing environment that emphasized the importance of community and support. As she grew, these values deeply influenced her career choice and her approach to life. Susan completed her education in family therapy, a field where she excelled due to her empathetic nature and strong communication skills. By the time of her death, she was 45 years old and had established herself as a respected family therapist, known for her dedication to her clients and her ability to help them navigate complex family dynamics.

In addition to her professional life, Susan was a devoted mother to four children. Her role as a mother was central to her identity, and she balanced her career ambitions with her responsibilities at home with grace and dedication. Her move to Toronto was motivated by a desire to start a new chapter in her life, both personally and professionally, after her recent separation. She had just purchased a house on Grace Street, looking forward to creating a new home for herself and her children.

Circumstances of Her Death

The tranquility of Susan Tice’s new beginning was shattered in August 1983. She was alone in her home on Grace Street when an intruder violently entered her sanctuary. The assailant attacked Susan in her bedroom, a private space where she should have felt safest. The attack was brutal; Susan suffered multiple stab wounds and showed signs of a struggle, including defensive wounds, indicating her desperate fight for life. Her body was discovered the next day by her brother-in-law, who visited the house after Susan’s sister could not reach her by phone.

The brutality of the murder shocked the community and her family, leaving a void that was felt deeply by all who knew her. The investigation into her murder initially yielded few leads, and the case quickly grew cold, leaving her family and friends in agonizing uncertainty for decades. The lack of closure and the horrific nature of the crime compounded the grief experienced by those close to Susan.

Resolution and Justice

The breakthrough in Susan Tice’s case came nearly forty years later, thanks to advancements in DNA technology and the persistent efforts of the Toronto Police Service’s Cold Case Unit. The key to solving her murder, along with the murder of Erin Gilmour who was killed under similar circumstances, was the use of genetic genealogy. This innovative approach involved creating a genetic profile from the DNA evidence collected at the crime scenes and comparing it to profiles in public genealogy databases, which eventually led to Joseph George Sutherland.

In 2022, Joseph George Sutherland, then 61 years old and living quietly in Moosonee, Ontario, was arrested and charged with the second-degree murders of both Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour. His arrest marked a significant breakthrough in the case, bringing a sense of relief, though bittersweet, to the families of the victims. In a confession that stunned all involved, Sutherland admitted to the attacks and his DNA conclusively linked him to both crime scenes.

Legal Outcome and Continued Impact

Joseph Sutherland pleaded guilty to both murders and was sentenced in 2024 to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 21 years. The sentencing brought a formal, albeit delayed, conclusion to a case that had haunted the Toronto community and the victims’ families for decades. The judge’s ruling underscored the severity of the crimes and the lasting impact on the families of the victims.

The resolution of Susan Tice’s murder did not undo the pain or bring her back to her loved ones, but it provided a measure of justice that was long overdue. The use of genetic genealogy in this case has set a precedent for resolving other cold cases, offering hope to countless other families seeking answers. Susan Tice’s story, though marked by tragedy, continues to influence the fields of criminal justice and forensic science, illustrating the profound impact of combining perseverance with technological advancements in the pursuit of justice.