Five years on, no leads in violent slaying of GM retiree

Cold case: Raymond Daby was found dead in his home in 2013

Raymond Darby had an appointment with the dentist on the morning of June 18, 2013. The 72-year-old, a General Motors retiree who was no longer driving after suffering a stroke, had made arrangements with a friend who was to pick him up at his Oshawa home and make sure he got there on time.

But when the friend knocked at Darby’s door — the house is located on a large corner lot at Maine Street and Ritson Road, south of the Kedron Dells golf course — there was no answer.

The friend summoned a neighbour, who had a key to the house. They entered together and called out for Darby. Eventually they made their way to a bedroom, where they found his body.

Darby had been murdered, stabbed to death in what Durham police at the time called a violent attack. Five and a half years after the killing, no arrest has been made.

“I would describe it as a particularly violent attack, based on the scene,” Durham homicide Det. Mike Horrocks said in early December of 2018.

Darby was last seen alive on the evening prior to the discovery of his body. A couple told police they saw the frail-looking man ambling up the driveway toward his house at about 7:30 p.m. June 17.

Although Darby was wellknown in his neighbourhood — he was something of a fixture, often seen walking about with the aid of a cane, handing out biscuits to dogs and engaging virtually anyone with time to talk in conversation — he left little information about who he’d been in close contact with just prior to his death, critical information for homicide investigators.

“It was a difficult case because of the lifestyle he had,” said Horrocks.

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It was a difficult case because of the lifestyle he had.”

MIKE HORROCKS

Durham Region police detective

“No internet, no cellphone.” Darby, predeceased by his wife and two daughters, had a small circle of friends and a loose array of acquaintances, the detective noted. “Beyond that, he didn’t have a big social network,” said Horrocks. “He lived kind of a lonely life.”

Darby’s lack of a digital footprint, combined with his tendency to associate with whomever he encountered, presented a challenge for police.

“He liked to wander and talk to strangers,” Horrocks said. “But he had only a few close friends. It made it difficult to determine who he was dealing with” just prior to his death.

Speculation ran rife following the killing. Neighbours noted that Darby, who liked to talk, often bragged that he had lots of money. He sometimes had young people work around his property, they noted. It was well known that he rarely took steps, even as simple as locking his front door, to secure his property. He was alone and vulnerable.

It is conceivable that Darby was targeted by someone who believed he may have had money or valuables and was an easy target, Horrocks allowed.

“It’s not out of the realm of possibility that somebody said something to somebody,” he said.

Also hampering the investigation is the fact that few people had access to Darby’s house, so it’s difficult to tell if anything was stolen — or if indeed a robbery attempt led to the killing.

“There weren’t a lot of people who could give us an inventory of what was in the residence,” said Horrocks.

The file remains active. Horrocks would like to hear from anyone with information.

“I would be interested in anybody’s theories, or anything that anybody saw that might be suspicious,” he said. “Sometimes, the smallest thing can start us in the right direction.”

Anonymous information can be sent to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or 1-905-579-1520 or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca