Gilbert Paul Jordan
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Gilbert Paul Jordan (born Gilbert Paul Elsie; December 12, 1931 – July 7, 2006), known as The Boozing Barber, was a Canadian
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
who is believed to have committed the so-called "alcohol murders" in
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, British Columbia.


Background

Jordan, a former barber, was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women between 1965 and 1988; he was the first Canadian known to use alcohol as a murder weapon. Jordan's lengthy criminal record started in 1952 and includes convictions for
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...
, indecent assault, abduction,
hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there may be an ...
,
drunk driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is invo ...
and car theft.CBC: Boozing Barber: http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/08/31/bc_jordan000831.htmlCTV: Boozing Barber

/ref>R. v. Jordan
991 Year 991 (Roman numerals, CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events * March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Peace and Truce of God, Truce of God, between ...
B.C.J. No. 2908
In 1976, Jordan was examined by Dr. Tibor Bezeredi as part of a court proceeding. Bezeredi diagnosed Jordan as having an antisocial personality, defined by Bezeredi as "a person whose conduct is maladjusted in terms of social behaviour; disregard for the rights of others which often results in unlawful activities".Quoted in the court decision, R. v. Jordan
991 Year 991 (Roman numerals, CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events * March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Peace and Truce of God, Truce of God, between ...
B.C.C.A. CA010272


Killings

Jordan is thought to have begun serial killing in 1965. He is considered a serial killer as he was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women, but was only convicted in the manslaughter death of one woman.Justice Canada. Technical Report. Violence Against Persons Who Prostitute: The Experience in British Columbia by John Lowman and Laura Fraser. (Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada, 1995), online: http://24.85.225.7/lowman_prostitution/HTML/violence/Violence_Against_Persons_Who_Prostitute.pdf. His victims were First Nations women in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
's Downtown Eastside. Typically he would find women in bars, and buy them drinks, or pay them for sex and encourage them to drink with him. When they passed out, he would pour liquor down their throats.National Post: History of Serial Killers: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2007/12/12/a-sordid-history-of-canadian-killers.aspx The resulting deaths were reported as
alcohol poisoning Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
and police paid little attention, because some of his victims suffered from alcoholism. Although the newspapers often described the women as sex workers, not all were involved in sex work. Jordan was known for drinking more than 50 ounces of
vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...
each day. The first woman known to have died by alcohol poisoning while in Jordan's company was in 1965. As would become a pattern, a switchboard operator, Ivy Rose was found naked and dead in a Vancouver hotel. Her blood alcohol level was 0.51. No charges were laid.First Nations Drum: http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2009/april/gpj.html Court proceedings show "he sought out approximately 200 women per year for binge-drinking episodes covering the period from 1980 to 1988. He was also looking for sexual gratification." Further, the Crown provided evidence that Jordan was linked to the deaths of six other First Nations women. Similar fact evidence showed Jordan had been with the following women at the time of their deaths:R. v. Jordan
988 Year 988 ( CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians ...
B.C.J. No. 1927
*Mary Johnson, November 30, 1980, at the Aylmer Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .34 *Barbara Paul, September 11, 1981, at the Glenaird Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .41 *Mary Johns, July 30, 1982, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .76 *Patricia Thomas, December 15, 1984, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .51 *Patricia Andrew, June 28, 1985, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .79 *Vera Harry, November 19, 1986, at the Clifton Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .04


Investigation

On October 12, 1987, Vanessa Lee Buckner was found naked on the floor of the Niagara Hotel after a night of drinking with Jordan.R. v. Jordan
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: *003, fictional British 00 Agent *003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) *1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway *''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
B.C.J. No. 237
There is some debate regarding the victim. Some sources indicate that she was a white woman, not a heavy drinker, nor was she a sex worker. However, official court records describe Buckner's death as the result of Jordan "supplying a lethal amount of liquor to a female alcoholic, who died as a result".R. v. Jordan
002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'', *1965 Italian film *Zero Two, a ''Darling in the Franxx'' character Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 ...
BCCA 330
Buckner had recently lost custody of her newborn baby, who had been born with a drug dependency. She "was an alcoholic and a taker of various kinds of drugs." Jordan's
fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...
s were found and linked to Buckner's death. A month after her death, another woman, Edna Shade, was found dead in another hotel. After being questioned, Jordan was not charged with any crime related to Buckner's death. However, police initiated surveillance on Jordan. Between October 12 and November 26, 1987, police watched him "search out native Indian women in the skid row area of Vancouver. On four different occasions they
he police He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
rescued the woman involved before she too became a victim". Those women were: *Rosemary Wilson, November 20, 1987, at the Balmoral Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .52 *Verna Chartrand, November 21, 1987, at the Pacific Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .43 *Sheila Joe, November 25, 1987, at the Rainbow Hotel, Blood alcohol level: unknown *Mabel Olson, November 26, 1987, at the Pacific Hotel, Blood alcohol level: unknown According to the court records, police listening outside the hotel rooms heard Jordan say such things as: "Have a drink, down the hatch baby, 20 bucks if you drink it right down; see if you're a real woman; finish that drink, finish that drink, down the hatch hurry, right down; you need another drink, I'll give you 50 bucks if you can take it; I'll give you 10, 20, 50 dollars, whatever you want, come on I want to see you get it all down; you get it right down, I'll give you the 50 bucks and the 13 bucks; I'll give you 50 bucks. I told you that. If you finish that I'll give you $75; finish your drink, I'll give you $20 ..."


Convictions and arrests

This similar fact evidence was important in the 1988 trial. Jordan was tried before a judge alone. Justice Bouck found Jordan guilty of
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...
in the death of Buckner. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but that was reduced to nine years on appeal.R. v. Jordan
991 Year 991 (Roman numerals, CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events * March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Peace and Truce of God, Truce of God, between ...
B.C.J. No. 3490
Jordan served six years for the manslaughter conviction. After his release, he was placed on probation which restricted him to
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
. In June 2000, he was charged with sexual assault, assault, negligence causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance—alcohol.GPJ: http://members.shaw.ca/pdg/gilbert-paul-jordan.html In 2000, Jordan attempted to change his name to Paul Pearce.CBC: Name change: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2001/12/27/names011227.html At the time, a name change in
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did not require fingerprinting or a criminal check. After the loophole was closed, he dropped the application. Jordan was arrested again, in 2002, for breach of probation because he was found drinking, and in the presence of a woman while in possession of alcohol. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in jail, followed by three years' probation and strict conditions. However, on August 11, 2004, he was arrested in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
for violating that probation order for an incident at the York Hotel in Swift Current,
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, August 9, 2004. He had been identified as being a party to binge drinking with Barb Burkley. Burkley was a long term resident of the hotel and had a serious drinking problem. Burkley was taken to the hospital by her friend and hotel employee, Cathy Waddington, who had discovered Burkley in very bad condition. Waddington identified Jordan as being there, but he was acquitted of those charges in 2005.R. v. Jordan - Excerpt Reasons for Sentence
005 ''005'' is a 1981 arcade game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings". It is one of the first examples of a ...
BCPC 0068
Upon his release, police issued a public warning.Saanich Police- Public Warning: http://www.saanichpolice.ca/crimewatch/media/archives/notificationjordan.htm. The same webpage is probably seen at https://web.archive.org/web/20050302014727/http://www.saanichpolice.ca/crimewatch/media/notificationjordan.htm. Jordan died in 2006.


Police warning

On February 3, 2005, the Saanich Police Department issued an alert warning the public to be cautious of the recently released Jordan:
JORDAN, Gilbert Paul, age 73, is the subject of this alert. JORDAN is 175cm (5'9") tall and weighs 79kgs (174lbs) ic He is partially bald with grey hair and a grey goatee. He has blue eyes and wears glasses. JORDAN is currently in the Victoria area but has no fixed address. JORDAN has a significant criminal record including manslaughter and indecent assault of a female. He uses alcohol to lure his victims. JORDAN's target victim group is adult females. JORDAN is subject to court ordered conditions including: * Abstain absolutely from the consumption of alcohol. * Not to be in the company of any female person or persons in any place where alcohol is being either consumed or possessed by that person or persons. If you observe the subject in violation of any of the above conditions please call the Saanich Police Department at 475-4321, 911 or your local police agency. If you have questions concerning the public notification process please contact the BC Corrections Branch at 250-387-6366.


Cultural impact

Jordan was the subject of the 1997 Canadian television program ''Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science'' in an episode called "Dead Drunk". The program described the forensic work used to convict him in 1988.Exhibit A: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0574359/ A dramatization, '' The Unnatural and Accidental Women'' was written by Vancouver playwright Marie Clements and performed in, among other places,
Buddies in Bad Times Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a Canadian professional theatre company. Based in Toronto, Ontario and founded in 1978 by Matt Walsh, Jerry Ciccoritti, and Sky Gilbert, ''Buddies in Bad Times'' is dedicated to "the promotion of queer theatrical ex ...
Theatre in
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(2004). In the play, the writer focused on the story of the victims in an attempt to redress the failure of the news media to do so. Clements later adapted her play into the screenplay for the feature film ''
Unnatural & Accidental ''Unnatural & Accidental'' is a 2006 Canadian film directed by Carl Bessai and starring Carmen Moore, Callum Keith Rennie, and Tantoo Cardinal.Alison Gillmor, "Play's powerful message muted by overly stagy film". ''Winnipeg Free Press'', Decembe ...
'' which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.Unnatural & Accidental: Jordan and his crimes served as inspiration for the first several episodes of '' Da Vinci's Inquest''. The crime series, set in Vancouver, portrayed a serial killer using alcohol as a murder weapon and stalking women involved in sex work. The portrayal departed from the facts by having the killer die before he could be arrested; he was murdered by the brother of one of his victims, tipped to his identity by a detective.


See also

* List of serial killers by country *
List of serial killers by number of victims A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons.A serial killer is most commonly defined as a person who kills three or more peop ...
* Robert Pickton


References


Further reading

* Marie Clements, ''The Unnatural and Accidental Women'', 2005, Talon Books. * The Vancouver Sun Special Report, "Death by Alcohol", October, 1987 pp. A1–A13. * Chris Rose, "Alcohol defense a surprise, man says", ''The Vancouver Sun'', Oct. 20, 1988, p. A8. * Chris Rose, "Barber linked to drink deaths, trial told", ''The Vancouver Sun'', October 7, 1988, p. A 10. * Chris Rose, "Death trial told of money-to-drink-offer", ''The Vancouver Sun'', Oct. 8, 1988, p. A1. * "Race bias charged in PJcase", ''The Vancouver Sun'', October 22, 1987, p. A1. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Gilbert Paul 1931 births 2006 deaths 20th-century Canadian criminals Canadian male criminals Canadian people convicted of manslaughter Canadian rapists Canadian serial killers Male serial killers People convicted of indecent assault People from Vancouver People with antisocial personality disorder Poisoners Prisoners and detainees of Canada Women in Vancouver Violence against Indigenous women in Canada