Clifford Robert Olson Jr. was arrested on August 12, 1981, while attempting to abduct two girls from a van in British Columbia—an arrest that would expose one of Canada's most heinous serial killing sprees and trigger a national scandal.
Born January 1, 1940, Olson had been a career criminal long before his murderous rampage. By 1981, he had been arrested 94 times for crimes ranging from fraud and armed robbery to sexual assault and burglary, accumulating over 100 convictions. His first prison sentence came at age 17 in 1957. Yet despite this lengthy criminal history, he remained free to hunt.
Between November 1980 and July 1981, Olson methodically murdered 11 children and teenagers across the Lower Mainland, predominantly targeting vulnerable young people. His victims ranged in age from 9 to 18 years old. Christine Weller, 12, was among the first—her mutilated body discovered near the Fraser River in Richmond in winter 1980. Others followed in rapid succession: Colleen Marian Daignault, 13, stabbed repeatedly in April 1981; Daryn Todd Johnsrude, 16, whose head was smashed with a hammer in late April; Simon Partington, just 9 years old, strangled in July; and Judy Kozma, 14 or 15, raped and strangled after a McDonald's shift.
The killings accelerated throughout July 1981. Sigrun Arnd, an 18-year-old German tourist, was raped and bludgeoned. Raymond King II, 15, was abducted, raped, and bludgeoned. Terri Lyn Carson, 15, was raped and strangled. Louise Chartrand, 17, was battered to death with a hammer and buried. Ada Court and Sandra Lynn Wolfsteiner, both in their mid-teens, were also murdered.
Olson's modus operandi was brutal and consistent: he would lure victims into his van, often targeting runaways and vulnerable youth. Many bodies were found nude, bearing evidence of sexual assault alongside crushing blows or stab wounds. Some remains were never recovered.
His capture came when police spotted him attempting to abduct two girls. A search of his van uncovered a notebook containing Judy Kozma's address—a critical piece of evidence. Charged initially with Kozma's murder on August 25, 1981, Olson would eventually confess to 11 murders and lead authorities to the bodies of several victims.
In January 1982, Olson pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder. Justice McKay sentenced him to 11 concurrent life sentences, ensuring he would never be released. He was incarcerated in Canada's Special Handling Unit at Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, a super-maximum security facility in Quebec.
