Summary of The Pair

Overview of The Pair (Park Predators)

This episode of Park Predators (Audiochuck) tells the 70+-year cold-case story commonly known as the “Babes in the Woods” — two children's skeletal remains discovered in Stanley Park, Vancouver, in January 1953. It follows the original 1950s investigation, decades of dead ends, advances in forensic science, investigative genetic genealogy, and the 2022 identification of the victims as two half-brothers (Derek and David — surname reported in sources as Dalton / D’Alton / DeAlton). The episode highlights both investigative missteps of the past and how modern DNA techniques finally returned names to anonymous victims.

Key facts and timeline

• Discovery: Jan 15, 1953 — park worker Albert Tong uncovered deteriorated fur coat and two skeletal remains north of Beaver Lake, ~150 yards from Stanley Park Drive.
• Initial forensic estimate: children killed ~1948–1949; age estimates varied in early press but coroner concluded one boy ~6–7 and one girl ~8–9 (later proven incorrect).
• Evidence found: fur coat, two leather aviator helmets (one with goggles), matching Oxford shoes, a woman’s penny loafer lodged under a shoulder, identical leather belts, a blue lunchbox, and a rusty lathing hatchet with broken handle.
• Early investigation: Detective Don McKay led the case; public appeals, facial reconstruction by an Austrian sculptor (1953), many leads but no ID. Police developed a working theory that a woman (possibly the mother) used the hatchet and then disappeared, possibly into nearby Burrard Inlet.
• Case stagnated through the 1950s–1960s despite checking dozens of missing-child pairs.
• Evidence handling issues: some bones were displayed and boxed at the Vancouver Police Museum; some clothing was washed by investigators in 1953 (now viewed as poor evidence practice).
• Reopening and modern forensics: Sgt. Brian Honeybourne reopened/revived work in the 1990s; forensic odontologist Dr. David Sweet extracted teeth and obtained DNA (late 1990s), revealing the two victims were both boys and maternal half-brothers.
• Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) and ID: In 2021–2022, police worked with Redgrave Research and specialized labs to create a SNP profile, uploaded to GEDmatch, built family trees, and matched maternal relatives. In Feb 2022 Vancouver Police announced the boys’ IDs as Derek and David (reported as Derek and David D’Alton/Dalton/DeAlton in various sources).
• Current status (as of 2022 release): Police believe the killer was a close relative who likely died in the late 1990s. No criminal charges were filed; investigation aims primarily to restore identity and narrative to the victims.

Victims and evidence (summary)

• Victims: two boys, born 1940 and 1941 (about 7 and 6 years old in 1947). DNA showed they shared the same mother but had different fathers (half-brothers).
• Clothing & personal effects: fur coat (woman’s), two children’s aviator helmets, matching Oxford shoes, woman’s penny loafer, leather belts, zipper jacket (red with Fraser Tartan pattern), a blue lunchbox.
• Weapon: rusty lathing hatchet with broken handle; skull fractures consistent with hatchet blows and hammer-like impacts.
• Witness reports (1947): multiple witnesses later reported seeing a woman in a fur coat in the park with two children and carrying a hatchet; one reported the woman missing a shoe and with a blood-spattered foot/leg.

Investigative theories and major developments

• 1950s theory: police suspected a female perpetrator (possibly the mother/guardian) based on wounds and presence of a woman’s coat/shoe; suggested the woman may have later jumped into the inlet — theory lacked direct corroborating evidence.
• 1953 efforts: extensive tip canvassing, facial reconstructions, publicized witness sightings, examination of missing-child records — no ID.
• 1990s–2000s: bones remained in museum/archive until Sgt. Honeybourne recovered skulls; teeth provided mitochondrial/nuclear DNA. Discovery that both victims were boys reopened files and eliminated many previously pursued leads (those assuming mixed sexes).
• 2021–2022 IGG breakthrough: SNP profiling, GEDmatch matching, and genealogical tree-building identified maternal family line and confirmed identities via family DNA. Resulted in naming of the victims and a working hypothesis that the killer was a close relative now deceased.

Important takeaways and insights

• Investigative genetic genealogy can solve cases long considered unsolvable — here it produced identifications after seven decades.
• Early forensic and evidence-handling practices (e.g., washing clothes, museum display of remains, poor chain-of-custody) hindered investigation and highlight how standards have improved.
• Accurate biological profiling (sex, age) is critical; the decades-long misclassification of one victim’s sex impeded the 1950s–1990s investigation significantly.
• Even when prosecution is unlikely (suspected killer deceased), identifying victims provides closure for families and restores human identity to cold-case victims.

Notable quotes

• “I think we have to make that assumption, yes, she would definitely be a person of interest if this case had occurred today.” — Vancouver Police inspector (on whether the mother would be a suspect)
• “After seven decades as a cold case, we presume that the person who killed Derek and David had likely passed away, but at this stage in the investigation, it was never about seeing someone charged for these crimes. It was always about giving these boys a name and finally telling their story.” — Vancouver Police news release

Remaining questions and status

• Per police, the likely perpetrator was a close relative who died in the late 1990s; investigators stated the priority was identification and telling the boys’ story rather than prosecution.
• Many details about motive, exact circumstances, and who else (if anyone) was involved remain unresolved publicly.
• Family perspectives: some relatives (e.g., niece Cindy Brady) and family researchers do not believe the mother was capable of murder; historical context (poverty, post‑war hardships, children taken into care) complicates interpretation.

Action items / how to help

• If you have information about the deaths of Derek and David (the Stanley Park victims), contact:
  • Vancouver Police Department: 604‑717‑3321
  • Vancouver Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 1‑800‑222‑8477

Further listening / reading

• Cold Case Canada (Eve Lazarus) — episode(s) on this case with family interviews and deeper background.
• Producers of Killer Crime — additional documentary coverage referenced in the episode.
• Park Predators episode sources and show page: parkpredators.com (episode source list referenced in the show).

If you want a very short bullet summary for sharing: two boys found in Stanley Park in 1953; long misclassification and cold-case investigation; reopened with DNA/teeth testing; identified in 2022 via investigative genetic genealogy as Derek and David (half-brothers); likely killed by a close relative now deceased; case remains unsolved but victims finally named.