A fire fighter sprays water on debris after a house explosion in Mississauga, Ont., Tuesday, June 28, 2016. Police and fire officials are expected to provide an update Friday on a deadly house explosion in Mississauga, Ont., that took place this summer.Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press
Six months after an explosion turned a Mississauga home to matchsticks, leaving 33 families still displaced from damage, Peel Police have concluded their investigation. The blast was an intentional double suicide.
"Our hope is that these findings will bring much-needed closure to the community," Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans said at the start of a press conference Friday.
The detonation of 4201 Hickory Drive, which occurred on June 28, had been shrouded in questions. Investigators were faced with four possible scenarios – a double homicide, a murder-suicide, an accident, or a double suicide – but making heads or tails of what took place inside the splintered structure took months.
Back in June, first responders on the scene found the bodies of homeowners Robert Walter Nadler and Diane Page, both 55, among the debris. Chief Evans revealed pathologist findings on Friday, which confirmed that both died from blunt-force trauma consistent with being near the epicentre of the explosion – though their proximity to the source of ignition is still unknown.
Chief Evans was joined by Fire Chief Tim Beckett, Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Fire Marshall Investigator Kevin Pahor and investigators from the 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau to make the double-suicide announcement.
Investigators say that natural-gas piping in the house was intentionally disconnected from the home's hot-water tank in two places, allowing gas to fill the house from the basement up. The couple would have been able to smell the gas an hour and a half before the blast, giving them ample time to leave.
Disturbing personal histories for the couple have been discussed in recent months.
Mr. Nadler was convicted of second-degree murder in 1982. He had a history of psychological issues, but a parole requirement for continued counselling had been lifted shortly after serving his sentence.
Chief Evans was firm that the actions of the parole board and the police force with regards to Mr. Nadler were fair. "I can tell you that we had no contact with Mr. Nadler following that 1982 homicide," she said, adding that the parole board said that after his release that he had adhered to the conditions of his parole.
Neighbours, however, maintained their concerns about the couple. During the press conference, a 12 Division investigator said one of the 65-plus witnesses interviewed had contact with Mr. Nadler prior to the explosion, and asked how he'd been doing.
"Robert Nadler said they were suffering from some sort of cancer and they didn't have long to live," he said. However, autopsy results showed no trace of cancer having been in either body.
As for Ms. Page, the devout Catholic had been estranged from her siblings and grown children for years. Media reports after the blast cited relatives of both Mr. Nadler and Ms. Page labelling the former as manipulative, however Peel Police declined to comment on those allegations, nor which of the two may have instigated the double-suicide plot.
Police also declined to comment about the couple's financial state – over which questions were raised when a series of eerie notes were found fluttering around the street after the explosion.
"Why are we still here God?" one handwritten letter begged. Another one said it was "time to check out" of an unfulfilled life. The notes were submitted for handwriting analysis, but investigators say they couldn't confirm who wrote them. However, the contents allow them to safely assume they came from Ms. Page.
"The notes that were found indicated a state of mind which was consistent with somebody suffering some sort of depression," one officer said. Whatever prompted the couple's decision, the aftermath of the devastation has been unquestionable. Ms. Crombie confirmed that 33 families are still displaced from their homes.
"They're probably watching," she said, turning her eye briefly to the swath of cameras in front of her. A community meeting, with representatives from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, would be held soon, though "probably not this week."
City building inspectors labelled many homes around the blast site unsafe to live in – or even walk through – without strict supervision. Homeowners or their insurance companies were required by the city to hire an engineer to investigate the damage and assess any remaining needs before moving back in.
Mississauga expedited building permits for affected homeowners, in an attempt to ease the strain of demolishing or patching up each home. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has yet to publish a report, as mandated when damages exceed $25-million.
Peel Police were unable to comment on whether damages could now be sought from the estates of the deceased.