VANCOUVER — 1924 · Suspicious Death
Janet Smith case
UnsolvedSources: CLast updated: 14 October 2026
In 1924, 22-year-old Scottish immigrant nanny Janet Smith was found dead in the basement of the house where she worked in Vancouver, with a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities and the coroner initially classified the incident as suicide, but many people believed it to be a murder. During an investigation shaped by the racial prejudices of the time, another household employee was subjected to unjust pressure; the case was never officially resolved.
- Date
- 1924
- Place
- British Columbia, Vancouver, CA
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 49.2827, -123.1207 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1924Body found (July)
- 1924Incident initially classified as suicide
- 1925Investigation closed without a formal resolution
Sources
- Official Report
- Contemporary Press Archive
Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.