Gavin Daley

Gavin Daley was a young man from Ajax, Ontario, remembered by his mother as generous, funny, and someone who loved unconditionally. His family, including two loving parents, saw him as a good kid from a decent home. However, his life had its struggles. After being diagnosed with ADHD at 16, he began self-medicating, which led to trouble with the law. His mother, Veronica, recalled a pivotal incident in Grade 8 when Gavin and a friend defended a girl from an older boy; she felt that a lack of support from the school and police afterward caused him to lose respect for authority. Though his teachers remembered him as charming, he eventually dropped out of school. In the months leading up to his death, just a month before his 24th birthday, his mother said Gavin seemed depressed and was having doubts about the lifestyle he was leading. His family never lost hope that he would find his way.

That hope was tragically extinguished on the afternoon of December 17, 2015, only a week before Christmas. Emergency services were called to an apartment fire at 123 Westwood Drive in Kitchener, Ontario, around 2:00 p.m. Inside the unit, firefighters discovered the body of 23-year-old Gavin Daley, a Black man. Investigators with the Waterloo Regional Police Service soon realized the fire was not the cause of death. A post-mortem examination revealed that Gavin had been shot and killed before the fire was deliberately set to cover up the crime. Police have consistently stated they believe the homicide was a targeted act.

The investigation into Gavin's murder has been exhaustive. Over the years, at least 23 full-time investigators have been assigned to the case, conducting more than 300 interviews and completing over 50 judicial authorizations in their search for the truth. In July 2016, police identified two persons of interest they believed had information crucial to solving the case: Sarah Poole and Devon Victor. At the time, Poole was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for human trafficking and fraud, while Victor was wanted by Toronto Police for conspiracy to commit an indictable offense. Police warned that Victor should be considered armed and dangerous.

Years passed with no arrests in Gavin's case. In December 2022, police provided an update, confirming that Poole and Victor remained persons of interest. They revealed that Victor had been arrested in Toronto in 2021 on unrelated charges. While no charges have been laid in connection with Gavin's death, a police spokesperson stated, "Our unit believes firmly that they have information that would progress this investigation forward." As of that update, no one has been charged with the murder of Gavin Daley.

Gavin’s family has been left with an agonizing and unresolved grief. At a police press conference marking the seventh anniversary of the murder, his mother Veronica made a heart-wrenching plea for anyone with information to come forward. "Parents are not supposed to bury their children and as painful as this has been it is compounded by the fact that someone did this on purpose, they consciously decided to pull the trigger and end my child's life," she said. Acknowledging the "snitches get stitches culture" that often silences witnesses, she begged for someone to clear their conscience. "My family begs you to please find a way to share what you know. We need to know... Gavin deserves justice. My family deserves justice. Please come forward. Help us get some semblance of closure."

The case remains open and active. In December 2022, the Waterloo Regional Police Service announced a $50,000 reward for credible information that leads to the arrest and successful prosecution of the person or persons responsible for Gavin Daley's murder. Deputy Chief Shirley Hilton stated, "We believe there are people who know exactly what happened to Mr. Daley and we are appealing to them to come forward in the hopes of providing some kind of closure for his family friends and community." Police emphasize that even a seemingly insignificant detail could be the key to breaking the case.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Waterloo Regional Police Service's dedicated tip line at 519-570-9777 ext. 8191. To remain anonymous, tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.