From the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, the city of London, Ontario, became an unlikely epicenter of terror, earning the grim title of The Serial Killer Capital of Canada. During this period, the small city saw an unprecedented wave of serial killings, with over 30 victims and a suspected 6 to 9 serial killers operating within its borders. To this day, many of these crimes remain unsolved, and the question of why London became a hunting ground for so many predators still haunts investigators.

The story of this dark chapter begins with cases like that of Jackie English. On October 4, 1969, 15-year-old Jackie was finishing her shift at The Metropolitan and needed a ride home. Her mother, who usually picked her up, was recovering from surgery, so Jackie made arrangements with friends to give her a lift. However, when she climbed into the car that night, she never made it home. Her body was found five days later—beaten, raped, and discarded. Her murder was just one of many that overwhelmed the London Police Service during this time.

The police were already stretched thin, investigating numerous other unsolved murders that shared disturbing similarities. The victims were often young women or children, abducted from familiar places and later found in remote locations. Investigators struggled with limited resources, outdated forensic techniques, and a growing sense of panic within the community. As more bodies were discovered, the realization set in: London was in the grip of multiple serial killers.

Several of these criminals earned sinister nicknames based on their methods. The Chambermaid Slayer targeted women working in hotels. The Mad Slasher brutally attacked victims in their homes. The Bedroom Stranger scaled apartment balconies to enter homes undetected, attacking women as they slept. Despite widespread fear and intensive police efforts, many of these cases never reached a resolution.

Experts have long debated why London experienced such a disproportionate number of serial killers. Some point to the city’s geography: London sits along major transportation routes, making it easier for criminals to travel in and out undetected. Others suggest the rapid population growth in the post-war years created social anonymity, providing fertile ground for predators to operate unnoticed. Still, others argue that flaws in early investigative techniques and jurisdictional overlap allowed killers to evade capture for years.

Perhaps most chilling of all is the knowledge that some of these predators were eventually caught—but only after years of unchecked violence. Several suspects were later linked to murders through advancements in DNA technology, while others remain unidentified to this day.

Why did London become Canada's serial killer capital? Was it chance, geography, or something more sinister? And how many of these killers were caught—and how many are still out there?

Join us as we unravel the mystery of The Serial Killer Capital of Canada in our latest episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, available now on Spotify and YouTube.