York police looking for clues in 29-year-old cold case

York Regional Police hope to solve the 29-year-old mystery of the dead man with the red high heels.

Investigators will next week release a clay bust of the man, whose remains were found in 1980 in Markham. A compact mirror, jeans, white socks and a pair of red high heels were found with the remains, which police said the victim was believed to have worn.

The victim was white, between 25 to 40 years of age, approximately 5’6” and 100-120 lbs, according to forensic reports.

The remains were discovered on July 16, 1980, by a Markham resident on the Eleventh Concession near Steeles Avenue. Police have been unable to identify the man.

Although no cause of death was determined, cold case Det. Const. Douglas Clarke said he believes foul play was involved.

“I think the person was murdered and left there in a wooded area, in a dumping ground.”

Three years after the body was found, on Christmas Eve 1983, the body and the clothing found with it were buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

It was exhumed a few years ago, which played a crucial role in developing the facial reconstruction.

“I don’t know why the remains were buried,” said Det. Clarke. “We felt that it was necessary to exhume the body. We had photographs but we didn’t have the actual items.”

DNA evidence was also collected and has been compared with missing persons reports as far away as Montreal.

The skull had been damaged and warped from the cold and time spent underground, said Det. Clarke, making a computer reconstruction impossible.