On Sunday, September 9th, 1990, at about 7:30am, police responded to a 911 call in the area of Sherbourne Street and The Esplanade. A couple walking their dog found 42 year old Lyle Ford was discovered in the park, suffering from severe medical trauma. Despite life-saving efforts by emergency personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lyle had been strangled, sexually assaulted and had bite marks on her body. Her clothes were disheveled and her pants had been pulled down when her body was found.
Lyle was originally from the United States and had an apartment but often lived in women’s shelters. Lyle was separated and had alcohol addiction issues.
In 2022, it was revealed that DNA evidence, from the bite marks and semen found at the scene, was collected. However, at the time, forensic capabilities were insufficient to identify a suspect. Advances in forensic technology, such as genetic genealogy, offer new hope for identifying her killer.
If you have any information regarding Lyle’s case, please contact:
Toronto Homicide: 416-808-7400
Case Reference#: 0391990
Email: homicide@torontopolice.on.ca.
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477)
Online at: https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/submit-a-tip/submit-a-tip
Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping
Source: Toronto Police Service
Someone Saw Something 
Leave a comment