UNSOLVED: Leah Sousa - 09/01/90 - Cumberland Beach, ON
By: S.M.There is a $50,000 reward in place for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who murdered Leah Sousa.
Last updated: 07/20/20
The Unsolved Murder of Leah Salina Sousa
Born June 7, 1977
Murdered September 1, 1990
Cumberland Beach, Simcoe County, Ontario
Age: 13September 1, 1990 was Labour Day Weekend. Leah Sousa was excited to enter high school the following week. That night, she slept on the couch in her home on Beachview Avenue in Cumberland Beach, a small community 135 km north of Toronto. Her mother, Lora, was sleeping in her bedroom, and her nine month old brother Michael was asleep in his crib.
Some time after midnight, intruder(s) broke the glass on the back door of the Sousa home. Lora was beaten into unconsciousness. Leah’s brother was left unharmed in his crib. Leah was sexually assaulted and taken to the backyard where she was violently murdered. It’s believed a metallic object was used to murder Leah - likely a pipe or tire iron.
Police called it one of the most brutal homicides in Ontario.
Leah Sousa with her mother, Lora. Video: 680 News
The Sousa home in Cumberland Beach, ON.
Although police believe Lora likely saw her daughter’s killer, she was beaten so brutally that her memory from that night has been erased. According to interviews Lora gave with CTV, she has gone to great lengths over the years to try to recover her memory from that night; she underwent hypnosis, was injected with sodium pentathol (also known as truth serum), and eventually travelled to Sudbury, ON to visit a lab run by Michael Persinger, an expert on the human brain. She underwent a process using magnetic fields targeting the right hemisphere of her brain in an attempt to encourage any residual neurons that may be intact. The process was unsuccessful.
Despite the bloody scene, investigators were unable to recover DNA from the attacker(s). Neither the murder weapon nor the bloody clothing worn by the killer(s) have been recovered. Police were able to recover a shoe print from a Nike all leather court or tennis shoe, believed to be either a size 9 or size 10.
It’s likely whoever killed Leah Sousa targeted the family’s vulnerability; Lora was a single mother with an infant and a young teenage daughter. Investigators believe whoever attacked the Sousa home that night was familiar with Cumberland Beach, and either lived there or frequented the area. They also believe that the attacker(s) knew the family was alone that night, and that someone with information about the murder still lives in the Cumberland Beach community.
The OPP homicide team meets regularly to discuss the case. It’s been 30 long years, but if investigators are right, someone knows something.
There is a $50,000 reward for information in the murder of Leah Sousa.
Source: 680 News
Location: Beachview Avenue, Cumberland Beach, Ontario
Do you have any information about the murder of Leah Sousa?
Please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) if you have any information.
Investigators have also set up a special tip hotline: (705) 329-7558.
Even if you don’t think the information you have is significant, it could be the piece needed to solve this case and bring justice to Leah and peace to her family.
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Links & Sources: CTV News - OPP continues search for killer 25 years after Leah Sousa murdered
CTV News - Murder Most Forgotten: A cold case the victim can't remember
680 News - Video: 25 years after Leah Sousa was murdered OPP still search for her killer
If you’re interested, some links have been shared to other news sources on Leah’s Reddit thread.
Last Updated: 07/20/20
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