Gus Fourtounes

In the quiet, early morning hours of August 25, 2005, the calm on Elizabeth Street in Guelph, Ontario, was broken by a man’s desperate shouts for help. A resident who opened their door discovered a man on their porch, bleeding heavily. The injured man was Kostas “Gus” Fourtounes, a 40-year-old father of two. He had been stabbed in the chest. Emergency responders rushed him to Guelph General Hospital, but his injury was too severe. Gus died shortly after arrival at 5:41 a.m.

Gus was a son, a brother, and a father. While his family acknowledged he wasn't perfect, they have always maintained that he did not deserve his violent end. "My brother wasn’t an angel, but he didn’t deserve to die the way he did,” his brother, George Fourtounes, said in an interview several years after the murder. The family, who no longer speaks with the media, has been left waiting for answers for nearly two decades. Gus was known to police, and investigators have noted he was involved with people in the city's drug subculture.

The investigation into the homicide was launched immediately by the Guelph Police Service. In the years that followed, detectives would interview and re-interview more than 100 people, tirelessly going over the case file and evidence. Police have long suspected that individuals within Gus's social circle hold the key to solving the crime but have been afraid or unwilling to come forward. "It’s one of those cases that’s been hanging like a dark cloud over our heads," Det. Staff Sgt. Tom Gill of the serious crimes unit said in 2019. "It’s always there. We’re always thinking about it."

Despite the passage of time, investigators have never given up. They routinely assign fresh eyes to review the file, hoping a new perspective might uncover a missed detail. Police have never publicly named a suspect or person of interest, and no motive has ever been officially established. Key questions remain unanswered, including where Gus was and who he was with in the hours leading up to the stabbing. The case is not considered a "cold case" by the department, but an active and ongoing investigation.

On the 20th anniversary of the murder in August 2025, Guelph Police issued a renewed plea for information. They emphasized that relationships and loyalties can change over two decades, and someone who was once scared to speak might now be in a position to do so. “We know there are people out there who could provide information which would let us finally solve this case,” said Det. Const. Scott Biser. “We need those people to come forward. Someone has gotten away with murder for 20 years and Mr. Fourtounes’ remaining family members deserve closure.”

As of August 2026, the murder of Gus Fourtounes remains the oldest unresolved homicide on the books of the Guelph Police Service. No one has ever been charged in his death. Investigators continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. They have assured potential witnesses they would not be in trouble for failing to speak up sooner.

A reward of up to $2,000 is offered by Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Guelph Police Service major crime unit or to provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.csgw.tips.