Canadian woman’s remains found in 1985 linked to suspected serial killer in Florida

By Canadian Press on February 2, 2026.

TITUSVILLE — A sheriff’s office in Florida says the remains of a woman identified by DNA as a Canadian who went missing in the 1980s were found with those of a second woman, who was thought to have fallen victim to a serial killer.

DNA firm Othram, which worked with Florida law enforcement, says it has identified the remains of Jeanette Marcotte, who was last seen in Saskatchewan and was thought to be heading to Vancouver when she went missing.

Tod Goodyear, public information officer with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, says Marcotte’s remains were found in 1985 with those of Kimberly Walker, who was theorized to be a victim of suspected serial killer John Crutchley, known as the “vampire rapist.”

Goodyear says Crutchley was convicted of rape and kidnapping, but never convicted of a homicide and died in 2002.

Marcotte’s remains were found in Malabar, Fla., mixed in with those of Walker’s, who was previously identified through dental records.

Goodyear says the cause of death for both Marcotte and Walker was undetermined, but “there was always a theory that it possibly was Crutchley,” who lived in Malabar at the time of the women’s disappearances.

He says Crutchley was found in possession of identification of missing people that led investigators to believe he may have been involved in unsolved deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press