So, what does everything think? Gord McCallister has unfortunately long ago died, before West was even convicted for other crimes in 1970. But, here's some interesting facts, that I hope will help you all vote:

- Ronald Glenn West lived very close to the Blind River area at the times of the murders.

- West was a police officer...the killer got the McCallisters to open there RV door by saying he was a police officer.

- The killer had long blonde hair...West's then wife claims if he husband put on a blonde wig, he would look exactly like the 3D composite.

From everything I've read, I think there is a definite possibility it was him.

I thought you all would be interested in this article:

a woman claims she was almost attacked by West

http://www.unsolvedcanada.ca/index.php?topic=2097.0

I would have to say it is quite possible. Not certain though. I can't seem to find any photos of him around that time. Does anyone have a link to any photos?

Quick question here while the topic is up, does anyone know how to flag the actual rest areas on "G" maps? All I can get it to do is show me hotels and such. I was hoping to find the rest area in question. Or at least some links to local newspapers.

Quick question here while the topic is up, does anyone know how to flag the actual rest areas on "G" maps? All I can get it to do is show me hotels and such. I was hoping to find the rest area in question. Or at least some links to local newspapers.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-36618.html

That's an old thread with a good news article if you haven't already found it. I also know that the newspaper shown in the segment was the Sault Star. Maybe you want to try their archives.

I am begining to feel that he was not the killer. I hope he is because that way even if he is never charged with that crime, he is still going to be in prison, likely for the rest of his life.

As I understand it, Gord McAllister never did identify him as the killer. And according to Gord's description, than man was only about thirty. Obviously he may have been wrong about the age, but the police don't seem to be all that hot about it being him. I don't know. I would like to see if he by chance owned a van similar to the one speeding out of the rest stop that night. Or if he ever owned weapons similar to what were used. If those things are found to be consistant, and if the report is true of another would be attack (I did a search online and found a post of a woman who thinks he is the killer and claims he threatened her and her family in a similar manner as the McAllisters were acosted), then I would feel more comfortable about West being the killer.

As an Ontario resident, this is definitely the UM case that hits closest to home for me, but as much I WANT Ronald West to be the killer, I'm not sure there's any way to know for sure until the guy confesses. I believe Gord McAllister died the year before West's capture, so he never would have gotten the chance to make a positive ID.

It would be really sad if the Blind River Killer's main motivating factor for killing the McAllisters was just so that they couldn't ID him. One of them ended up surviving and IDing him and they STILL never caught the guy, so the fact that he could have left Jackie McAllister alive and still gotten away with it make his actions all the more infuriating :mad:. However, I'm sure he just wanted to kill someone that night anyway, no matter what the circumstances.

From what I've read, just the circumstantial evidence, I'm convinced he was the killer.

From what I've read, just the circumstantial evidence, I'm convinced he was the killer.

The circumstancial evidence is enough to convince me as well:

1. West lived in the area.

2. West's past as a police officer and the "police officer" claim being such an integral aspect of the MacAllister case.

3. The use of small-caliber "long guns". West committed the 1970 murders with a .22 rifle. A .22 rifle as well as a 20-gauge shotgun were used in the MacAllister murder. The woman who said she was nearly attacked by someone she believed was West claimed he had a shotgun in his possession.

The circumstancial evidence is enough to convince me as well:

1. West lived in the area.

2. West's past as a police officer and the "police officer" claim being such an integral aspect of the MacAllister case.

3. The use of small-caliber "long guns". West committed the 1970 murders with a .22 rifle. A .22 rifle as well as a 20-gauge shotgun were used in the MacAllister murder. The woman who said she was nearly attacked by someone she believed was West claimed he had a shotgun in his possession.

I don't know. I feel that of what you said, 3 is the most compelling. I don't think that would stand up in court though. Unless... they were able to match up the bullets used in the different crimes. Even if they never come up with the actual murder weapon, if the balistics tests from the different crimes match, and they have him convisted of the earlier murders, I say that is a no brainer.

We also have to remember that the police, to my knowledge at least, have never said that they think its him. The only thing I have come across on the web is that they were looking into the possibility of a link.

Living in the area may have nothing to do with it at all. It is only circumstancial. I would agree that it weighs against him, but there is no way to convict on that basis.

As far as him saying he was a police officer, many criminals make that claim to gain victims trust, or entry into their homes, etc.

The biggest thing here is any resemblence between West and eyewitness accounts, and possibly the same weapons being used. This in conjunction with the area, do make him at least a very likely suspect. I had heard somewhere that Gord McAllister had been given the chance and not ID'd him. If it is true that he died before West was caught, I would definately agree that there is a strong possibility. Perhaps the info I had was wrong. I do agree there is a strong circumstancial case against him though.

If it is true that he died before West was caught, I would definately agree that there is a strong possibility. Perhaps the info I had was wrong. I do agree there is a strong circumstancial case against him though.

I was thinking about that today. I feel that's the most key piece of information we're missing. If I knew for certain Gord MacAllister had been shown West's photograph and not identified him as the killer, that would alter my ideas completely.

Here's some more evidence:

His wife claims West has possession of a blue van at the time of the murders...the driver was driving a blue van.

Seriously, why can't he be convicted?

Just bumping this to see if anyone else will vote......

I'm not sure how much the police officer claim means, anyone can claim to be a police officer. Its interesting to be sure but I don't know that it proves anything.

Nevertheless, unless there is something we don't know, this guy sounds like a strong suspect and he may well have done it. His close proximity to the crime scene and owning a blue van, and most strongly his own wife saying he looks like the killer. And wasn't West known to have weapons like the ones used by the killer? Pretty strong circumstantial evidence.

The one thing that concerns me is that Gord McAlister thought that he was younger than West was at the time of the murders. Of course he could have easily been mistaken, especially if West was wearing a blonde wig, the lack of gray in his hair may have led Gord to think he was younger.

Really to bad Gord couldn't have hung on one more year to say if it was West. I have no doubt he would have identified him, I'm sure that face was tatooed in his brain.

It sounds like it was probably West, but hasn't Oba Chandler's name been mentioned in connection with this case to? Anyone remember what that was all about I thought I heard it somewhere.

Oba Chandler bears a strong resemblence to the photo, but in all likelyhood, it's not him.

The strongest (and most logical) suspect is Ronald West. It's a shame Gord died before West was apprehended.

http://i56.tinypic.com/30m4ebb.jpg

Anymore questions?

http://i56.tinypic.com/30m4ebb.jpg

Anymore questions?

Ehhhhh......... I don't know. The eyes look like they are shaped differently, and the upper lip is thinner on West's picture than it is the composite drawing. But thats not a deal breaker, for all we know West may have got in a fight shortly before the murders and had a fat lip at the time. :rolleyes:

Although I admit that slight dent right in the middle of the chin just below the mouth is eerily the same on both. I mean exactly.

Can't say definitely either way. They look enough alike to not rule him out, but just different enough to where there is some doubt IMHO.

given how confident Gord McAlister seemed, that is definitely one of those composite drawings I put the most credence into.

I wish I could have found a better picture where West's eyes where more noticeable, there are distinctive, and very identical to the picture here...

Around the jaw, there is a similarity. The hair looks like a wig, it looks very artificial. The lips are interesting, but it could have even been possible Gord blacked out and got that part wrong. Who knows...

Oba Chandler bears a strong resemblence to the photo, but in all likelyhood, it's not him.

The strongest (and most logical) suspect is Ronald West. It's a shame Gord died before West was apprehended.I concur that there's a stronger chance West was the killer. But the resemblance between Chandler and the UM computer sketch is eerie.

http://www2.sptimes.com/Angels_Demons/graphics/Chandler_mug_79.jpg

Creepy! :eek:

Yikes that is a striking resembelence.

BUT, you have to look at all the circumstantial evidence, and none of that points to Oba Chandler. It does however point too Ronald Glenn West, blue van, wife's testimony, living in the area at the time, etc...

Just bumping this to see how many more people will vote...

I read through this thread earlier, but haven't voted because I don't really know enough about the case to make an informed guess.

Just thought of something else:

The crimes Ronald Glenn West would eventually be tried for were dubbed the "22 caliber killings" as the killer used a 22 caliber revolver.

One of the guns used to kill the two Blind River victims, was a 22 caliber revolver.

Just thought of something else:

The crimes Ronald Glenn West would eventually be tried for were dubbed the "22 caliber killings" as the killer used a 22 caliber revolver.

One of the guns used to kill the two Blind River victims, was a 22 caliber revolver.

According to the UM website, one of the weapons used in Jackie McAllister's murder was .22 rifle.

>>>He was armed with a 22-caliber rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun. As Jackie went through her purse, the gunman shot her.<<<

I don't know a whole lot about either of those guns. A long time ago, I shot a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. You have to load, fire, unload, and re-load for each shot. It's pretty much useless for a criminal. I've never shot a lever action .22, but I guess that kind of rifle would be quicker to reload after each shot? Maybe he could flip the lever one handed to reload, which would make shooting with one hand easier. Wouldn't he need both hands to rack another shell into the 20 gauge? (I'm assuming that he carried a gun in each hand, which would make two handed reloading impossible.)

I dunno, but the .22 is definitely not a weapon I would choose to commit a crime with. I wonder if those two guns were his only options. From the criminal's POV, the .22 is probably good for the intimidation factor. I have to think that this guy carried the 20 gauge to commit the crimes with and had the .22 as back up, in case the first gun jammed, maybe?

From what I can tell, both of those guns are used by small game hunters and people who like to go out shooting varmints. Seems like a strange combination of weapons to use to carry out ambush assaults.

According to the UM website, one of the weapons used in Jackie McAllister's murder was .22 rifle.

>>>He was armed with a 22-caliber rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun. As Jackie went through her purse, the gunman shot her.<<<

I don't know a whole lot about either of those guns. A long time ago, I shot a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. You have to load, fire, unload, and re-load for each shot. It's pretty much useless for a criminal. I've never shot a lever action .22, but I guess that kind of rifle would be quicker to reload after each shot? Maybe he could flip the lever one handed to reload, which would make shooting with one hand easier. Wouldn't he need both hands to rack another shell into the 20 gauge? (I'm assuming that he carried a gun in each hand, which would make two handed reloading impossible.)

I dunno, but the .22 is definitely not a weapon I would choose to commit a crime with. I wonder if those two guns were his only options. From the criminal's POV, the .22 is probably good for the intimidation factor. I have to think that this guy carried the 20 gauge to commit the crimes with and had the .22 as back up, in case the first gun jammed, maybe?

From what I can tell, both of those guns are used by small game hunters and people who like to go out shooting varmints. Seems like a strange combination of weapons to use to carry out ambush assaults.

From what I understand, the killer had 2 guns - used one on Jackie, then when he was leaving, used the other on Brian Majors. So, yes, those probably were the factors, he didn't have time to reload. Not to mention he shot at Gord nearly twice.

From what I understand, the killer had 2 guns - used one on Jackie, then when he was leaving, used the other on Brian Majors. So, yes, those probably were the factors, he didn't have time to reload. Not to mention he shot at Gord nearly twice.

Wish I knew more info on the case. I'm going to have to look through my dvds and view this one again soon.

I've remembered so little about the actual case. The part that stands out the most in my memory is Mr. McAllister speaking about how devastated he was over losing his wife. In the few times I've viewed that segment, I don't think I got past the emotional aspects to really pay attention to the crime details.

Wish I knew more info on the case. I'm going to have to look through my dvds and view this one again soon.

I've remembered so little about the actual case. The part that stands out the most in my memory is Mr. McAllister speaking about how devastated he was over losing his wife. In the few times I've viewed that segment, I don't think I got past the emotional aspects to really pay attention to the crime details.

I completely agree. The case disturbs me on so many levels...

Only one other case has caused such fear & depression in me - Angela Hammond.

I love adding things to this thread - as this is the case that has bothered me the most.

- Ronald Glenn West was found guilty of several "cold" robberies in the mid-90s, right before his DNA matched the 1970 crimes.

Sorry to all you skeptics out there, but I am convinced Ronald Glenn West is THE Blind River Killer.

I think the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong against him, but I just can't figure out why it seems the authorities aren't taking him more serious as a suspect.

I am starting to wonder about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Weren't they involved in the Cindy James investigation that seemed to be a quagmire as well?

Well, for one thing Ronald Glenn West is already behind bars, and will be for life - even though a trail is necessary and would be fantastic, I don't see them doing it anytime soon because of his situation.

Also, there's no direct evidence leading him to be the killer, just circumstantial. If Gord was still alive, he could have IDed West in a second, unfortunately there are no living witnesses and no DNA evidence.

I couldn't vote because I couldn't decide. I'm leaning towards yes, but nothing really makes me say "Definitely, it has to be him." The circumstantial isn't even that strong.