In July 2007, Katie became a quadriplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury in a car accident. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Lawrence also began to indicate she was in danger. Approached for comment multiple times byThe Fifth Estate, members of theLaanfamilydeclined to comment. But we didn't do any digging beyond that.". Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. "There was nothing there that would send an alarm bell off into my head. Katherine Fields Smith, 91, of Anderson, and widow of the late Joel B. Smith, Jr., passed away Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at Iva Post-Acute Care. That same friend told police that was the last time she spoke with or heard from Lawrence, whom she normally saw three times per week. . Joan Lawrence, a seventy-seven-year-old who lived on a Laan property, paid over $700 to rent an eight-by-ten foot shedcovered in newspaper littered with cat urine and feces, according to one of the documentswith no insulation, running water, or electricity. He was taken there around once a month, he said. When Lawrence realized she hadn't received the cheque, she had a friend who worked at a local law office look into it. "I had significant concerns regarding the care of these individuals," he said. The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. Katherine was born on May 1, 1935 in Kennewick WA to Percy and Vivian (Marberg) Sellick and grew up in Everett, WA. "It appeared to be clean and well-kept," he said. She was sentenced to nine months in custody. She was too good for all of us, and we are beyond blessed to have her friendship. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Katherine J. Smith to show support. I looked around and went, oh it seems OK.", Hurley met Kathrine and Walter Laan during his visits. She courageously battled an illness and died in the hospital at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, PA. She was a prolific artist, plying her skill at pottery, collage, drawing, and painting. There was never an opportunity missed on a good one liner. Among them is Kathrine Laan, the sister and niece of Lawrences landlords. Four seniors went missing in Ontarios Muskoka region in the 1990s. Would you like to offer Katherine J. Smiths loved ones a condolence message? For those four who disappeared and had no one to look out for them, Matthews is hopeful that justice will be served and they can finally be laid to rest. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. m, 41 Matt twelfth Kraal mroit. Obituary. She attended the Valley School of Ligonier from kindergarten through ninth grade and then Mt. Hurley lived at Cedar Pines, one of the homes run by the Laans, for a few years until his death in 1996. Before arriving on the Island, she worked in Toronto as an investigative journalist with CBC's The Fifth Estate, where she received two Canadian Screen Awards, a Michener Award and a National Radio Television Digital News Association Award. Another resident told police he had no shower facilities and was told he'd be taken to Fern Glen to shower once a week. Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation. Family linked to disappearance of seniors fights release of police documents. Donations can be made in her honor to The Red Door Community. Billerica, MA. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? Anyone who knew her will tell you she had a clever, quiet sense of humor and expressed care and concern for others in need. "My dogs have a better place to stay, like a neater, cleaner place to stay than wherethose people were," says local contractor Geoff Vander Kloet. A former freelance copywriter for Chatelaine and the Toronto Star, she survived off an $800-a-month pension income and drifted between boarding houses and shelters after a fire destroyed her house in 1994around the time the Laans opened their first retirement home. Funeral arrangement under the care ofBaker-Hazel & Snider Funeral Home. When journalists from The Fifth Estate approached David in a Toronto parking lot this past summer, he declined to answer questions and drove away. Interment will be private. According to court records, the oldest brother, David Laan, has been convicted for breaking and entering and theft. Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2013, was an amazing person who worked with youth who had disabilities, giving them hope that they can do what they wanted to do with their life, said her friend, Josie Badger of New Castle, who was Ms. You can read the feature Cottage Country Murder here. The Walrus sparks conversations about Canada and its place in the world through our award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, events, podcasts, and content solutions. She departed this life on February 5, 2023, at the age of 67, while resting at home. November 14, 2022 Privacy Policy and Court documents obtained by The Fifth Estate show that Hurley's father was one of 12 people police say the Laans were stealing money from after they died and in Hurley's case, cashing his pension cheques for four years after he died. She is also survived by 6 beautiful nieces and nephews. Muskoka mystery: Fifth Estate host Bob McKeown approaches Kathrine Laan, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Her spirit was infectious, and it was hard not to be jealous of the way she approached life. Others reported having no access to bathroom facilities. Katherine J. Smith Obituary We are sad to announce that on February 18, 2023 we had to say goodbye to Katherine J. Smith of Huber Heights, Ohio. The Fifth Estate showed Hurley the court documents, which show the date on the charging documents against the Laan family is just days after he received that letter. One of the first residents who spoke to police said he only had rice and pasta to eat and was paying $700 per month tolive at FernGlen. With thanks,Jennifer HollettExecutive Director, Updated 9:54, Nov. 12, 2019|Published 15:11, Mar. In addition to her mother, she is survived by her brother, Patrick M. Smith. Paul and Walter Laan received sentences that included probation and community service. She used everything life gave her to become the best she could be, Badger said. Interment will be at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The youngest brother, Paul, teaches English at a private university in metropolitan Seoul. Katherine Jennifer Smith April 29, 1988 - November 14, 2022 It is with a heavy heart and unmeasurable sadness that we announce the death of our 34-year-old daughter Katie. What Matthews saw in the early days of investigating the homes had him worried for the well-being of the residents who lived there. "I didn't get suspicious, only in so far as we couldn't pay the bill to the funeral home. Smiling, she waved at the camera and then drove off. (82 years old). It was later in the investigation that the OPP would learn 12 more people died while being cared for by the Laans making that 16 in total over about seven years. The forms, he said, were to give theLaanspermission to change residents' bank accounts and to have theirchequesdeposited directly. More than two decades later, CBC Podcasts has found Lawrence's family. Rob Matthews told The Fifth Estate the case is moving forward in a substantial way after they received a "significant" number of tips and information following a news conference this summer and media attention to the case. A criminal defence attorney representing the Laan siblings, as well as their uncle, Ron Allen, has responded. By the age of 25, their sister, Kathrine Laan, had spent time in jail for drug possession, theft and extortion. Four weeks ago, I published a story in this magazine about one of Canadas most notorious cold cases. The documents, which total more than400 pages, describe the police investigation to date, includingwhat was found in searches police carried out on the property where Lawrence was last known to have lived. She was a graduate of Everett High School, earned an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree at Everett Junior College, and received a Bachelor of . David, Walter, Walters wife, Karen, Paul, and Kathrine were eventually charged in relation to the theft of residents government benefit chequesincluding cheques belonging to three of the missing seniors. Walter, fifty-seven, operates Esto Mechanical, a North Yorkbased heating, refrigeration, and air-conditioning company. She had a true affection for all young people and amassed an impressive childrens book collection. A former freelance copywriter for Chatelaine and the Toronto Star, she survived off an $800-a-month pension income and drifted between boarding houses and shelters after a fire destroyed her house in 1994around the time the Laans opened their first retirement home. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. April 29, 1988 - The wide-ranging response also flags the cynical tone of Fifth Estate host Bob McKeown, the use of highly sensationalized re-enactment footage of an underwater search conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police, the observations of interview subjects with no immediate knowledge of the police investigation, and the depiction of missing persons flyers seen floating in the water. As we look at Who We Are Now in 2023, help us power the next 20 years of inspiring conversations and fact-checked journalism. Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. "That was probably his lifeline that kept him from either disappearing or dying quietly in a bed there.". Smith, who was crowned Ms. "They were the ones that were always there when I went.". View Katherine C. Smith's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more. Smith was such a happy person, said Barb Zablotney of Windber, a 2018 Ms. To date, no one has been charged in relation to the disappearances, but the four Muskoka missing had one thing in common: their landlords, David, Walter, and Paul Laan. She was born Aug. 30, 1985, in Latrobe, the daughter of Patricia OBrien Smith and the late Robert Melville Smith. Katie had a tremendous passion for gardening at home. The portions of the search warrants that remain under seal will be challenged by The Walrus/CBC in a hearing later this month. Join Facebook to connect with Kathy Laan and others you may know. No charges have ever been laid in the disappearance of any of the four seniors. In November 1998, before Lawrence could file her report with the OPP, she went missing. Obituary. Two years ago, Katie took a position with Disabilities Options Network, in Greensburg, PA. Write your message of sympathy today. In addition to new facts, the documents paint a more detailed portrait of previously known individuals. Smith pursued her love of sports by skiing and playing rugby, curling and bocce, Zablotney said. He also told police he heard the "sound of gunshots" around the last time he saw her in the fall of 1998. Katie lived for music and dancing and attended hundreds of concerts all over the country. She was predeceased by : her parents, Robert Brown and Elva Brown; her sons, Robert and Charles Curtis; and her sister Barbara Howard. She. The Fifth Estate spent months tracking down Kathrine Laan, in the end finding multiple names she'd used over the past several years and around a dozen addresses and phone numbers for her across the United States and Canada. Ron Allens age and whereabouts are unknown. Paul Laan has not responded to a request for comment. Over the course of their operation, four residents disappeared from the Laan family homes: 77-year-old Lawrence, a former newspaper reporter and aspiring author; 69-year-old Grant, a family man and former auto parts salesman; 70-year-old Crofts, a former Eaton's employee and father of twin boys; and 89-year-old Semple, a father, grandfather and war veteran. Box 38235, Pittsburgh PA 15216 and. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Around 1994, David, Walter, Paul, and their sister Kathrinewho is not one of Manishens clientsopened a series of retirement homes in Emsdale and Huntsville. 01:05:17 - The Muskoka region of Ontario is usually a beautiful summer destination for cottage owners in Canada, but this week we tell you the story of its dar Chris Tribula Katherine Ulewicz Kathy Ulewicz Roger Van Elslande. Your sweet mother was truly a Godly woman with a huge heart. 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