Today, I bring you a case that very well may be linked to others – meaning they were murdered by a serial killer. Tracy Olajide was a person who was struggling in life before she disappeared – but how did she end up dead in an area in which two more bodies would be found within two months? Let’s explore.
Who Was Tracy?
Very, very little information about this case is available to the public. It was not a high profile case to begin with, but I also have a feeling a lot of the information was not digitized. What is known is not rainbows and sunshine. Tracy was a struggling single mother. She was an addict. She was a sex worker. But none of that should define her, so let’s look at the concrete facts.
Tracy was 30 at the time of her death. She had dark hair and dark eyes. She had one child.
via Canadian Crimeopedia)
The Murder
On August 10, 1995, Tracy was seen near the Waldorf hotel, which is located in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. Tracy does not appear to have been close with family, and I don’t see anything about an official missing person report, but it was around this time when she was known to have stopped working. It is believed that Tracy was murdered shortly after this date.
The Investigation
The investigation began with the discovery of Tracy’s nude body near Agassiz, British Columbia. She was found on a logging road, sexually assaulted and strangled. Only three weeks later, another body would be found within five miles of Tracy’s. Just over two months later, a third body would be found. These cases, due to their similarities in MO and location, would become linked and known as the Hemlock Valley murders.
Theories
It seems to me that there are two main theories here: either the cases are linked, and Tracy was murdered by a serial killer, or it was totally unrelated and Tracy was murdered by a single, one-time killer. Let’s tackle them one at a time.
First: the serial killer. I can see why this conclusion would be come to. It makes sense. The MOs match between the cases, and the victims were all on the fringes of society, picked up at hotels or social service institutions. They were also left in similar locations. I don’t know if there was any forensic evidence that linked the cases – but since there hasn’t been anything refuting the idea that the cases are linked, my guess is that any forensic evidence does link them. This very much reminds me of the Green River killer.
The single killer theory could happen a few ways. Maybe Tracy was murdered by a regular client of hers. Maybe someone saw a sex worker and saw an opportunity. They then just so happened to put her body near where other bodies would be found, creating the serial killer narrative.
This is a case where I could see either theory being true. I normally err on the idea that cases aren’t related – I’m always the cynic when it comes to serial killers. But this one…it seems plausible. Maybe even probable.
Investigating Agencies
If you or anyone you know has any information about the murder of Tracy Oladije, please contact Crime Stoppers at 604-669-8477 or 1-800-222-8477. You can also visit their website at www.crimestoppers.aebc.com.
Sources
- https://bc.ctvnews.ca/police-pursue-vancouver-s-other-serial-killer-1.605357
- https://canadiancrimeopedia.com/unsolved_women/olajide-tracy/
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vicki-black-s-death-has-been-solved-after-27-years-but-for-some-the-wounds-are-still-fresh-1.5811193
- https://bc.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-hunt-for-serial-killer-in-3-cold-case-slayings-1.569979
- https://www.ctvnews.ca/rcmp-believe-unknown-killer-behind-b-c-deaths-1.570133
- https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/police-look-for-leads-in-cold-case-serial-killings/article1216001/
- https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/3-b-c-cases-bear-similarities-to-green-river-1073667.php
- https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/tracy-fadola-olajide-vancouver-near-agassiz-bc-1995.290916/
