We may now know the killer of nine-year-old Christine Jessop from back in 1984, but a non-profit which advocates for the wrongfully convicted says we now must know why he wasn't a suspect in the murder all those years ago.
Innocence Canada, formerly known as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, is calling for an independent review of both the Toronto and Durham Police forces, after it was recently determined through new evidence that Calvin Hoover killed the child.
Co-president Kirk Makin of the group - which formed in large part to the wrongful conviction of Guy Paul Morin in connection to the case - says this has to be examined, considering Hoover's ties to thge Jessop family.
"It's become quite clear that the police intend to sort of look at this going forward and investigate Hoover going forward, but they are not interested in going backward to reveal to anyone why they failed to find Hoover," he said. "We have to know why."
On October 15th, Interim Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said new evidence pointed to Hoover, who at the time was 28. He committed suicide in 2015.
Jessop disappeared on October 3rd, 1984 from Queensville after she getting home from school and going out to meet a friend.
Her body was was found New Year's Eve, with evidence showing she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed. Morin was charged in 1985, was acquitted in his first trial, convicted of murder in 1992 and then exonerated in 1995.
That led to a judicial inquiry, but Makin says the new review would be much different than that one.
"We are not looking for a replay," he said, adding the cost would be much cheaper than the millions of dollars that have already been sunk into this case. "We are looking at a very specifically targeted review into Hoover and how Hoover was not investigated by these two police forces."
"It was not in any way looked at the by the previous inquiry because no one knew Hoover was out there, now we do."
Ramer said at the news conference that Hoover did have a dated criminal record, but that it had no significance to the investigation.
"He was not a suspect at the time, but anything else would be pure speculation," he said, when asked if he could've been found if the investigation hadn't been mishandled.
Makin says the Ministry of the Attorney-General could use various models to conduct the review, such as appointing a retired judge, a senior figure from an outside force, or even commissioner of the mid-90s inquiry, Fred Kaufman or his counsel.
Toronto Police are already collecting new information on Hoover, saying recently that over 50 tips had come in since the October 15th news conference.
"A number of people who knew him both socially as well as through work," Homicide Det. Steve Smith said. "We're starting to be able to put together a bit of a timeline on what and where Calvin was during certain years."
"The biggest concern is if they could tie him to any other potential crimes.
NEWSTALK1010 has reached out to the ministry to see if it would consider a review.
"These things are seriously considered when there's the pressure to consider them," Makin said.
Joanne McLean, a board member with the group who represented Morin, said in a statement both the Jessop and Morin families "and the public need explanations."