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>> Narrator: The following video is based on true events. Viewer discretion is advised.
[Background music] [Written: Missing: The Saskatchewan Files]
>> Narrator: There is a group of cold case investigators who meet bi-annually in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Association of Cold Case Investigators share information and knowledge
between agencies. This video is a result of their collaboration. These are some of their
cases.
[Written: Neville, SK]
>> Narrator: On November 14, 1985 an explosion shook the village of Neville, Saskatchewan.
Cpl. Donna Zawislak is currently investigating the disappearance of Susan Dawson.
[Written: Cpl. Donna Zawislak RCMP Major Crimes Unit]
>> Cpl. Zawislak: The Ponteix RCMP were called to Neville, SK for an explosion that occurred
at one of the residences. Upon arrival they found that a house had been demolished and
It was believed that someone still was inside that residence. Being that it is a small town,
everybody came out to look around to see what was going on and saw that there's some damage
done at the residence of Terry Murphy. The main source of the explosion came from the
basement of the house. As they were sifting through the debris they found that there were
actually human remains inside the house. Some of the evidence found at the scene they determined
it was the homeowner Terry Murphy that was in the house. Because the community was so
small everyone knew that Terry also had a housekeeper that lived with him. Her name
was Susan Dawson.
>> Cpl. Zawislak: Susan was new to the community of Neville. Susan came from Winnipeg. She
had come here recently and was working for Terry as a housekeeper. She also loved animals
and according to people from the community, Terry liked animals too, and he helped out
with veterinarian issues, like with cattle and horses and stuff like that. And that's
how Susan got involved, and because she didn't know anyone here she also agreed to be his
housekeeper and live at his residence. They also knew Susan had lived there and made attempts
trying to locate her within that house to see if you know she was you know buried inside
the rubble. They step by step went through each room removing debris, looking around
and they found no evidence that Susan was in the house. Believing that Susan wasn't
there the question was where was Susan.
>> Narrator: Of significance in this case is that Terry Murphy was a target of an investigation
by Saskatchewan conservation officers and was charged with various wildlife infractions.
>> Cpl. Zawislak: According to people close to him, Terry was upset and spoke about rigging
up a vehicle with some dynamite and having it set up just to get back at those conservation
officers. A few days prior to the explosion, Terry Murphy had rented a blue 1985 Buick
Car from a rental company in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The police found this vehicle
parked in Terry's yard when they attended the explosion scene. During the scene examination
investigators located a bullet hole through the trunk lid. It was learned that the rental
car had only been driven a few hundred kilometers. Investigators are unable to explain whether
the bullet hole on the trunk of the vehicle or the amount of kilometers on the car had
anything to do with the disappearance of Susan Dawson, who was Terry Murphy's housekeeper.
>> Narrator: The community of Neville knew that Susan Dawson lived with Terry Murphy.
She was nowhere to be found.
>> Cpl. Zawislak: After further speaking with the family they found out that they had last
talked to Susan two days before she was last seen. She had phoned home and had said that
everything was fine. She wasn't in Winnipeg, she wasn't here locally. She didn't know a
lot of people so they started spreading the word. They went around to the residences in
the community. Searches were done on foot, with the RCMP and by volunteers and again
those searches resulted in nothing.
>> Narrator: Susan's personal vehicle was found parked at the store in Neville, but
despite search efforts, Susan and her blue heeler, could not be found.
>> Cpl. Zawislak: The RCMP Historical Case Unit still considers Susan Dawson a missing
person and are continuing to investigate her disappearance. I believe someone knows, yes,
what happened to Susan and has some information that could probably shed some light as to
what happened to Susan and where she is right now.
[Background music] [Cree speaking]
>> Myth #3: You have to be family to report someone missing
The truth: Anyone can report someone missing -- family, a coworker, a friend, a neighbor!>>
>> Narrator: If you have any information on the disappearance of Susan Dawson, please
call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477
[Written: Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477; RCMP crest; Produced by "F" Division Operations
Strategy Branch 2013]