Hazel Lloyd’s murder still unsolved after 5 years
Five years after a brutal homicide, Medicine Hat police remain hopeful there will be justice for Hazel Lloyd.
“This is still very fresh on our mind, and we will not let up,” said S-Sgt. Trevor Humphries, speaking with the News about the case on its fifth anniversary.
“I can’t really say it’s hit a point where it’s completely stopped. It’s just continuing to move slowly.”
The last time 94-year-old Lloyd was seen alive was on Aug. 29., 2012. Her body was discovered after a fire in her apartment unit on the 200 block of First Street NE. that same evening. Lloyd’s identity was not initially released, although neighbours identified her as the victim.
At the time, police requested there be no premature speculation. They wanted to confirm the cause of death, and whether foul play was involved.
Then the autopsy report came back: Lloyd had died from blunt-force trauma that occurred prior to the fire. There was reason to believe the fire was intentionally set. They had to use DNA to confirm Lloyd’s identity. It was deemed a homicide. Neighbours described Lloyd as a “nice lady” who was “still moving quite well for her age.” The building’s owner issued a statement, saying Hazel was well-liked, and a long-term tenant. She was like family to the staff there, who visited her daily. Her only son passed away in February of this year.
One of the challenges with the case is there are no firsthand witnesses, said Humphries.
But police are “absolutely” convinced someone knows what happened, he said. “Whether it’s one person, or more than one person. Somebody knows exactly what happened.”
But because the investigation is still underway, police are not sharing many details.
“In the days after the incident, there were people of interest. We’re still in that same situation,” said Humphries on whether there are suspects.
For more than two years, the initial investigator’s daily routine centred completely around the case, said Humphries. The file has been reviewed three times, each time by a different investigator.
“The other members assigned had just an exemplary effort that did not stop,” he said, describing it as bittersweet when they were switched off the case — but they all knew that a fresh set of eyes was needed.
Each new officer assigned to the case reexamines evidence from the scene, goes through old interviews — the initial investigation included numerous interviews with members of the public — re-interviews people and more, Humphries explained.
“When you put a different lens on it and look at it differently, each time it has been reviewed the person comes from a little different perspective or different experience. And that can help further the file.”
Police have brought in outside assistance, with different levels of expertise, for the investigation, such as Calgary Police Service’s arson investigators.
In April 2013, a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of Lloyd’s killer(s) was announced. The reward is still available.
In April 0f 2014, police released three composite sketches of individuals they believed to have information on the homicide, something Humphries said “generated interest” from the public.
Sometimes the case has had to be put on the backburner, such as in 2016 when the major crimes unit was investigating four homicides in the span of six months.
“So far in 2017 we haven’t had those type of numbers for incidents, so we are able to focus back towards these files.”
Are the police anywhere closer to solving the case?
“It’s difficult to say that you’re closer,” said Humphries. “I’m very pleased with where we are at, with the fact that it is not on the shelf collecting dust. It is active.”
The case won’t be considered closed until they have an arrest and it goes before the courts he said.
That this hasn’t happened yet is both challenging and frustrating, said Humphries.
“But when I think of the frustrations and challenges, I’m sure it pales in comparison to the grief that the family went through. An elderly lady murdered in what should be the safety of her own home. I could not begin to imagine the grief that they’ve experienced, and the questions that they still have.”