Simone Sandler

Simone Sandler was a sweet, empathetic, and somewhat naive young woman with a passion for drama. At 21 years old, the Thornhill resident had studied hotel management at Humber College and was spending the summer of 1994 working a job that put her in the heart of downtown Toronto. Friends and family remembered her as a kind person who had a soft spot for people experiencing homelessness, often buying them coffee or a meal. This inherent kindness and trust defined her character but also placed her in a world far removed from her suburban upbringing.

On Saturday, July 23, 1994, Simone was at her summer job, recruiting passersby to be movie extras near the bustling intersection of Yonge and Gerrard streets. She was known for her reliability and always called her parents if she was going to be late. When she failed to return home that evening and made no call, her family immediately feared something was wrong. They contacted the police and began plastering the downtown core with missing person posters, desperate for any news of the university drama student.

A week of agonizing uncertainty ended in the most tragic way possible. On July 30, 1994, Simone’s body was found floating in the polluted waters of the Keating Channel, where the Don River meets Lake Ontario near Cherry Street. An autopsy confirmed she had been strangled. Her body was partially clothed, missing the blue denim shorts, new clogs, and beige knapsack she had with her when she disappeared. The discovery launched a major homicide investigation by the Toronto Police Service.

The lead investigator, Mark Mendelson, recalled the immense challenges the case presented. Simone’s work had brought her into contact with a transient community, many of whom were known only by nicknames like "Short Judy" or "Girl with the Green Hair." Tracking these individuals down proved difficult, as many had no fixed addresses or full names. Investigators followed leads across the country, traveling to Saskatchewan and Vancouver to interview people who had known Simone during her time working downtown. The era predated widespread social media and surveillance cameras, leaving few digital or visual trails to follow. A planned search of the riverbank for evidence was thwarted by a major storm that caused the water levels to rise, likely washing away anything the killer might have left behind.

The investigation into Simone's murder occurred amidst a palpable fear that a serial killer was targeting women in Toronto. Just weeks before Simone vanished, the body of 23-year-old Julieanne Middleton was found floating near Sunnyside Beach on July 7; she had been strangled and drowned. In October of that year, the body of 33-year-old Virginia Lee Coote was discovered near the same location, also a victim of strangulation. Three years later, in October 1997, 35-year-old Darlene MacNeill was also found strangled and left near the Sunnyside Pool area. While police explored the connections, the cases, including Simone's, remained unsolved.

Over the years, investigators and Simone's family made public appeals for information. After four years with no arrests, the Toronto Police Service offered a $100,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of her killer. Her parents appeared in the media, hoping the reward would compel someone to come forward. Despite the national exposure and the significant sum of money, former investigator Mark Mendelson stated that they "didn't receive a single call from anyone" of investigative value.

Decades have passed, but the search for justice for Simone Sandler continues. As of January 2026, her killer has never been identified, and the case remains an active investigation within the Toronto Police Service's cold case homicide unit. The $100,000 reward for information remains available, a standing plea for anyone with knowledge of what happened to the kind-hearted young woman in the summer of 1994 to finally break their silence.