The Unsolved Murder of Tina Picoulas
Case File Overview
19-year-old Tina Picoulas was murdered on Wednesday, May 28th,* 2008. Her body was found at the Comfort Hotel at 445 Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto, Ontario by hotel staff during a welfare check.
At first, Tina’s death was not classified as a homicide. Roughly three months after her body was discovered, however, the Office of the Chief Coroner determined that Tina’s death was indeed a homicide.
Detective Peter Code explained that “natural causes, drug overdose, something like that, has been ruled out.” The authorities are being extremely reticent about Tina’s cause of death, with Detective Code stating, “Foul play is suspected, there was trauma, but that’s all I can say.”
Little is known about Tina. But we do know that she had lived in Montreal, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. And unsubstantiated reports suggest that she may have worked as an exotic dancer. All of this information could be useful if it helps people remember if they interacted with or saw Tina during her time in Toronto.
*Note: Tina’s death is reported to have occurred on May 28th, 2008 or May 29th, 2008. The newspaper articles all state that Tina was murdered on the 28th, and the Toronto Police Service has tweeted that Tina was killed on the 28th. However, the Toronto Police Service Cold Case Files overview indicates that Tina was killed on the 29th. For the sake of clarity, I have used the 28th, as it is, by far, the more frequently used date.
Case File Theories
Unfortunately, until more is known about Tina, her cause of death, forensic evidence found at the scene, and who she was with during the time leading up to her death, it is impossible to explore any specific theories about her murder.
Who do you think murdered Tina?
Given the fact that the media has shown very little interest in covering Tina’s case in any in-depth manner, it is crucial that we draw attention to what few details there are available. Please share this article on social media to help shine a light on this very cold case.
Toronto Police Service is keen to talk to anyone with information about Tina’s death, or anyone who knows of her whereabouts during the days just prior to her murder. If you have any information, please contact the police at 416-808-7400, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Related reading
Tina Picoulas – Toronto Police Service Cold Case Files overview
Woman’s death in May ruled a homicide – The Star article
Police label suspicious death a homicide – CTV News article
Hotel death ruled homicide – Toronto.com article
Interested in unsolved murder cases? Check out the murder of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman and the mysterious slaying of Ricky McCormick.
WOW!! 10 years and no movement on this case. It is undoubtedly concerning that the crime scene was at first, not considered as a crime scene. That would possibly mean that it was not treated with undue care. Three months later, it is considered homicide. Shame, shame on Toronto for not calling in a Forensics team (just in case).
Very true. I also wonder how the police’s approach to Tina’s murder impacted the viability and type of evidence collected from the scene. As more and more time goes by, I become increasingly concerned that the likelihood of this case being solved diminishes. Thanks for reading!
As someone with a close connection to Tina, reading this breaks my heart. Are there any ways to help get cold cases re-opened?
I’m very sorry that this case hits close to home. You could reach out to the local police and ask if they have anything new on the case or if you can help out in any way. Here’s hoping there are some answers soon!
Whether she was or wasn’t involved in the sex trade, it could have played a part in her death. I feel like if a suspect or evidence is never found when a young woman is found in a hotel, then it can most likely be linked to someone the police are trying to cover up for or the hotel workers are paid to keep quiet by someone. I hope her family will eventually get some answers in the future.
Hi Mya. Thanks for your thoughts! Yes, why she was at the hotel could matter. I don’t think the police are involved in a coverup. But I do think they have more info than they are releasing. If more time passes without answers I hope they release whatever they can to help move the case forward. Tina deserves justice!