Gilbert Paul Jordan
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Paul Jordan known as the "Boozing Barber", was a Canadian
serial killer
who is believed to have committed the so-called "alcohol murders" in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
.
, indecent assault
, abduction
, hit and run
, drunk driving and car theft.
In 1976, Jordan was examined by Dr. Tibor Bezeredi as part of a court proceeding. Dr. Bezeredi diagnosed Jordan as having an anti-social personality, defined by Dr. Bezeredi as "a person whose conduct is maladjusted in terms of social behaviour; disregard for the rights of others which often
results in unlawful activities".
Jordan is considered a serial killer as he was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women, but was only convicted in the manslaughter death of one woman. His victims were Aboriginal women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
. Typically he would find women in bars, and buy them drinks, or pay them for sex and encourage them to drink with him. When they passed out, he would pour liquor down their throats. The resulting deaths were reported as alcohol poisoning and police paid little attention, because some of his victims were alcoholics. Although the newspapers often described the women as prostitutes, not all were involved in prostitution. Jordan was known for drinking more than 50 ounces of vodka
each day.
hotel. Her blood alcohol level was 0.51. No charges were laid.
Court proceedings show "he sought out approximately 200 women per year for binge drinking episodes covering the period from 1980 to 1988. He was also looking for sexual gratification." Further, the Crown provided evidence that Jordan was linked to the deaths of six other Aboriginal women. Similar fact evidence showed Jordan had been with the following women at the time of their death:
On October, 12, 1987, Vanessa Lee Buckner was found naked on the floor of the Niagara hotel after a night of drinking with Jordan. There is some debate regarding the victim. Some sources indicate that she was a white woman, not a heavy drinker, nor was she a prostitute. However, in official court records describe Ms. Buckner death as the result of Jordan "...supplying a lethal amount
of liquor to a female alcoholic, who died as a result." Ms. Buckner had recently lost custody of her newborn baby, who had been born with a drug dependency. She "was an alcoholic and a taker of various kinds of drugs." A month after her death, another woman, Edna Shade, was found dead in another hotel. Jordan's fingerprint
s were found and linked to Ms. Buckner's death.
After being questioned, Jordan had not been charged with any crime related to Ms. Buckner's death. However, police initiated surveillance on Jordan. Between October 12 November 26, 1987, police watched him "search out native Indian women in the skid row area of Vancouver. On 4 different occasions they [the police] rescued the woman involved before she too became a victim." Those women were:
According to the court records, police listening outside the hotel rooms heard Jordan say such things as:
This similar fact evidence was important in the 1988 trial. Jordan was tried before a judge alone. Justice Bouck found Jordan guilty of manslaughter
in the death of Ms. Buckner. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but that was reduced to nine years on appeal.
Jordan served six years for the manslaughter conviction. After his release, he was placed on probation
which restricted him to Vancouver Island
. In June of 2000, he had been charged with sexual assault, assault, negligence causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance -- alcohol. In 2000, Jordan attempted to change his name to Paul Pearce. At the time, a name change in British Columbia
did not require fingerprinting or a criminal check. After the loophole was closed, he dropped the application.
Jordan was arrested again, in 2002 for breach of probation because he was found drinking, and in the presence of a woman while in possession of alcohol. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in jail, followed by three years probation and strict conditions.
However, on August 11, 2004, he was arrested in Winnipeg
for violating that probation order for an incident at the York Hotel in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
, August 9, 2004. He had been identified as being a party to binge drinking with Barb Burkley. Ms. Burkley was a long term resident of the hotel and had a serious drinking problem. Ms. Burkley was taken to the hospital by her friend and hotel employee, Cathy Waddington, after finding Ms. Burkley in very bad condition. Ms. Waddington identified Jordan as being there, but he was acquitted of those charges in 2005. Upon his release, police issued a public warning.
Gilbert died in 2006.
Police Department issued an alert to warning the public to be cautious of the recently-released Jordan:
A dramatization, The Unnatural and Accidental Women was written by Vancouver playwright Marie Clements
and performed in, among other places, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto (2004). In the play, the writer focused on the story of the victims in an attempt to redress the failure of the news media to do so.
Marie Clements later wrote a script for the movie Unnatural & Accidental
which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.
Jordan and his crimes served as inspiration for the first several episodes of Da Vinci's Inquest
. The crime series, set in Vancouver, portrayed a serial killer using alcohol as a murder weapon and stalking prostitutes. The portrayal departed from the facts by having the killer die before he could be arrested; he was murdered by one of his victims' brother, tipped to his identity by a detective.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who is believed to have committed the so-called "alcohol murders" in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
General Criminal Background
Jordan, a former barber, was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women between 1965 and 1988; he was the first Canadian to use alcohol as a murder weapon. Jordan's lengthy criminal record started in 1952 and includes convictions for rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, indecent assault
Indecent assault
Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
, abduction
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, hit and run
Hit and run
Hit and run typically refers to:* Hit and run , the crime of failing to stop and identify oneself after a vehicular collision* Hit and run , a baseball play in which runners are in motion before the ball is hit...
, drunk driving and car theft.
In 1976, Jordan was examined by Dr. Tibor Bezeredi as part of a court proceeding. Dr. Bezeredi diagnosed Jordan as having an anti-social personality, defined by Dr. Bezeredi as "a person whose conduct is maladjusted in terms of social behaviour; disregard for the rights of others which often
results in unlawful activities".
Jordan is considered a serial killer as he was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women, but was only convicted in the manslaughter death of one woman. His victims were Aboriginal women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
Downtown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....
. Typically he would find women in bars, and buy them drinks, or pay them for sex and encourage them to drink with him. When they passed out, he would pour liquor down their throats. The resulting deaths were reported as alcohol poisoning and police paid little attention, because some of his victims were alcoholics. Although the newspapers often described the women as prostitutes, not all were involved in prostitution. Jordan was known for drinking more than 50 ounces of vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
each day.
Alcohol as a Weapon
The first woman known to have died by alcohol poisoning while in Jordan's company was in 1965. As would become a pattern, a switchboard operator named Ivy Rose was found naked and dead in a VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
hotel. Her blood alcohol level was 0.51. No charges were laid.
Court proceedings show "he sought out approximately 200 women per year for binge drinking episodes covering the period from 1980 to 1988. He was also looking for sexual gratification." Further, the Crown provided evidence that Jordan was linked to the deaths of six other Aboriginal women. Similar fact evidence showed Jordan had been with the following women at the time of their death:
1. Mary Johnson, November 30, 1980, at the Aylmer Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .34
2. Barbara Paul, September 11, 1981, at the Glenaird Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .41
3. Mary Johns, July 30, 1982, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .76
4. Patricia Thomas, December 15, 1984, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .51
5. Patricia Andrew, June 28, 1985, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .79
6. Vera Harry, November 19, 1986, at the Clifton Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .04
On October, 12, 1987, Vanessa Lee Buckner was found naked on the floor of the Niagara hotel after a night of drinking with Jordan. There is some debate regarding the victim. Some sources indicate that she was a white woman, not a heavy drinker, nor was she a prostitute. However, in official court records describe Ms. Buckner death as the result of Jordan "...supplying a lethal amount
of liquor to a female alcoholic, who died as a result." Ms. Buckner had recently lost custody of her newborn baby, who had been born with a drug dependency. She "was an alcoholic and a taker of various kinds of drugs." A month after her death, another woman, Edna Shade, was found dead in another hotel. Jordan's fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
s were found and linked to Ms. Buckner's death.
After being questioned, Jordan had not been charged with any crime related to Ms. Buckner's death. However, police initiated surveillance on Jordan. Between October 12 November 26, 1987, police watched him "search out native Indian women in the skid row area of Vancouver. On 4 different occasions they [the police] rescued the woman involved before she too became a victim." Those women were:
1. Rosemary Wilson, November 20, 1987, at the Balmoral Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .52
2. Verna Chartrand, November 21, 1987, at the Pacific Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .43
3. Sheila Joe, November 25, 1987, at the Rainbow Hotel, Blood alcohol level: unknown
4. Mabel Olson, November 26, 1987, at the Pacific Hotel, Blood alcohol level: unknown
According to the court records, police listening outside the hotel rooms heard Jordan say such things as:
"Have a drink, down the hatch baby, 20 bucks if you drink it right down; see if
you're a real woman; finish that drink, finish that drink, down the hatch hurry,
right down; you need another drink, I'll give you 50 bucks if you can take it;
I'll give you 10, 20, 50 dollars, whatever you want, come on I want to see you get
it all down; you get it right down, I'll give you the 50 bucks and the 13 bucks; I'll
give you 50 bucks. I told you that. If you finish that I'll give you $75; finish your
drink, I'll give you $20...
This similar fact evidence was important in the 1988 trial. Jordan was tried before a judge alone. Justice Bouck found Jordan guilty of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
in the death of Ms. Buckner. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but that was reduced to nine years on appeal.
Jordan served six years for the manslaughter conviction. After his release, he was placed on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
which restricted him to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. In June of 2000, he had been charged with sexual assault, assault, negligence causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance -- alcohol. In 2000, Jordan attempted to change his name to Paul Pearce. At the time, a name change in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
did not require fingerprinting or a criminal check. After the loophole was closed, he dropped the application.
Jordan was arrested again, in 2002 for breach of probation because he was found drinking, and in the presence of a woman while in possession of alcohol. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in jail, followed by three years probation and strict conditions.
However, on August 11, 2004, he was arrested in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
for violating that probation order for an incident at the York Hotel in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, August 9, 2004. He had been identified as being a party to binge drinking with Barb Burkley. Ms. Burkley was a long term resident of the hotel and had a serious drinking problem. Ms. Burkley was taken to the hospital by her friend and hotel employee, Cathy Waddington, after finding Ms. Burkley in very bad condition. Ms. Waddington identified Jordan as being there, but he was acquitted of those charges in 2005. Upon his release, police issued a public warning.
Gilbert died in 2006.
Police warning
On February 3, 2005, the SaanichSaanich
The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.*BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin...
Police Department issued an alert to warning the public to be cautious of the recently-released Jordan:
- JORDAN, Gilbert Paul, age 73, is the subject of this alert. JORDAN is 175cm (5'9") tall and weighs 79kgs (174lbs). He is partially bald with grey hair and a grey goatee. He has blue eyes and wears glasses. JORDAN is currently in the Victoria area but has no fixed address. JORDAN has a significant criminal record including manslaughter and indecent assault of a female. He uses alcohol to lure his victims. JORDAN's target victim group is adult females. JORDAN is subject to court ordered conditions including:
- - Abstain absolutely from the consumption of alcohol.
- - Not to be in the company of any female person or persons in any place where alcohol is being either consumed or possessed by that person or persons.
- If you observe the subject in violation of any of the above conditions please call the Saanich Police Department at 475-4321, 911 or your local police agency. If you have questions concerning the public notification process please contact the BC Corrections Branch at 250-387-6366.
Cultural impact
Jordan was the subject of the 1997 Canadian television program Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science in an episode called "Dead Drunk". The program described the forensic work used to convict him in 1988.A dramatization, The Unnatural and Accidental Women was written by Vancouver playwright Marie Clements
Marie Clements
Marie Clements is a Métis playwright, performer, director, producer screenwriter, and founding artistic director of urban ink productions and fathom labs highway. Clements lives on Galiano Island British Columbia Canada...
and performed in, among other places, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto (2004). In the play, the writer focused on the story of the victims in an attempt to redress the failure of the news media to do so.
Marie Clements later wrote a script for the movie Unnatural & Accidental
Unnatural & Accidental
Unnatural & Accidental is a 2006 award-winning Canadian film directed by Carl Bessai and adapted from a Marie Clements play The Unnatural and Accidental Women.- Plot :...
which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.
Jordan and his crimes served as inspiration for the first several episodes of Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....
. The crime series, set in Vancouver, portrayed a serial killer using alcohol as a murder weapon and stalking prostitutes. The portrayal departed from the facts by having the killer die before he could be arrested; he was murdered by one of his victims' brother, tipped to his identity by a detective.
Further reading
- Marie Clements, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, 2005, Talon Books. ISBN 0-88922-521-4
- The Vancouver Sun Special Report, "Death by Alcohol", October, 1987 p. A1-A 13.
- Chris Rose, "Alcohol defense a surprise, man says", Vancouver Sun, Oct. 20, 1988, p. A8.
- Chris Rose, "Barber linked to drink deaths, trial told", The Vancouver Sun, October 7, 1988, p. A 10.
- Chris Rose, "Death trial told of money-to-drink-offer", The Vancouver Sun, Oct. 8, 1988, p. A1.
- "Race bias charged in [GPJ] case", The Vancouver Sun, October 22, 1987, p. A1.