The Case of Derek and David Dalton

One of the most enigmatical crimes of the 20th century was a double murder committed by an unknown culprit in Stanley Park, Vancouver. It is thought that both boys were Russian immigrants who arrived in the city during the turn of the century. The police have a few suspects, but so far nothing has been solved.

Although the two boys were found in the same vicinity, the skeletal remains were disposed of in waters off Kits Point. A groundkeeper discovered the skeletal remains while clearing brush. This was no ordinary task, however, as the boys were bludgeoned to death with a hatchet, which was likely not just an old fashioned pocketknife.

Despite being buried under a woman’s coat, the children’s skeletal remains were not properly identified for several years. That is, until the Vancouver Police Department finally stepped in. Their investigation uncovered more than a dozen pieces of evidence, most of it gilded. But what were they? Besides a few bits and pieces of shrapnel, the boys were largely covered by thick brush. They had the best of intentions to hide the bodies, but the etiquette was not followed.

In their quest to find the killers, investigators scoured the city for a more than 25 year old cold case that has not been solved. Upon digging deeper, they uncovered a trove of information about the boys that was only recently uncovered. Most impressively, the police found out that the victims were actually cousins, which was a little surprising. Not only were the siblings related, but they were also cousins on the same side of the family, which is a first for Vancouver.

What’s more, the case is one of the oldest on record. And that may be why the police have yet to crack it. As with any mystery, the motives of the perpetrators remain a mystery. To squelch the mystery, the police commissioned a forensic lab to perform a comprehensive analysis of the case. Using the data collected, the lab found a number of possible suspects. Among these, a distant relative was the only candidate whose DNA could be reliably matched.

Although it is not known whether the specter a la carte, the skeleton of the boy actually survived the slaying, the Vancouver Police have a sleuth who will continue to investigate the gruesome crime. Luckily for the police, the sleuth is not a suspect. While the case is a mystery, there is no reason the culprits should not be brought to justice.