Gilbert Paul Jordan

Early Life and Criminal Beginnings

Gilbert Paul Jordan was born on December 12, 1931. His criminal record began in 1952 and included convictions for rape, indecent assault, abduction, hit and run, drunk driving and car theft. Jordan worked as a barber, operating a shop at 2503 Kingsway in Vancouver. In 1976, psychiatrist Dr. Tibor Bezeredi examined Jordan as part of a court proceeding and diagnosed him with an antisocial personality disorder. Bezeredi defined this as a condition where a person's conduct is maladjusted in social behaviour, showing a disregard for the rights of others that often results in unlawful activities. Jordan was a chronic alcoholic, reportedly consuming more than 50 ounces of vodka daily. He was the first Canadian known to use alcohol as a murder weapon.

The Alcohol Murders and Modus Operandi

Jordan's killings followed a consistent pattern. He would frequent bars in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, seeking out vulnerable women, many of whom were Indigenous. Jordan would buy these women drinks or pay them for sex, encouraging them to consume excessive amounts of alcohol with him. When they passed out, he would pour more liquor down their throats. The resulting deaths were recorded as acute alcohol poisoning. The first death linked to Jordan occurred in 1965, when switchboard operator Ivy Rose was found dead in a Vancouver hotel with a blood alcohol level of 0.51. Court proceedings later revealed that Jordan sought out approximately 200 women per year for binge-drinking episodes between 1980 and 1988. Although newspapers often described the women as prostitutes, not all were involved in prostitution.

Confirmed and Suspected Victims

The Crown presented similar fact evidence at Jordan's 1988 trial linking him to the deaths of six other First Nations women. This evidence showed a pattern of Jordan being with women at the time of their deaths from acute alcohol poisoning. These deaths occurred in locations such as hotels and his barbershop at 2503 Kingsway. The women named were Mary Johnson in 1980, Barbara Paul in 1981, Mary Johns in 1982, Patricia Thomas in 1984, Patricia Andrew in 1985, and Vera Harry in 1986.

• Mary Johnson (November 30, 1980): Died at the Aylmer Hotel.
• Barbara Paul (September 11, 1981): Died at the Glenaird Hotel.
• Mary Johns (July 30, 1982): Died at 2503 Kingsway.
• Patricia Thomas (December 15, 1984): Died at 2503 Kingsway.
• Patricia Andrew (June 28, 1985): Died at 2503 Kingsway.
• Vera Harry (November 19, 1986): Died at the Clifton Hotel.

The case of Vanessa Lee Buckner became the focus of Jordan's manslaughter conviction. Buckner was found dead on the floor of the Niagara Hotel on October 12, 1987, after drinking with Jordan. Court records describe her death as the result of Jordan supplying a lethal amount of liquor to a female alcoholic. Buckner had recently lost custody of her newborn baby, who had been born with a drug dependency. She was an alcoholic and a taker of various kinds of drugs. Jordan's fingerprints were linked to Buckner's death. Another woman, Edna Shade, was found dead in a hotel in November 1987. Some sources indicate Buckner was a white woman, not a heavy drinker, nor a prostitute, but official records describe her as an alcoholic.

Police Investigation and Surveillance

After Buckner's death in October 1987, police placed Jordan under surveillance. Between October 12 and November 26, 1987, officers observed him searching for native Indian women in the skid row area of Vancouver. On four separate occasions, police intervened to rescue women before they could become victims. The women rescued during this period were Rosemary Wilson, Verna Chartrand, Sheila Joe, and Mabel Olson. Officers listening outside hotel rooms heard Jordan coercing the women with offers of money, saying phrases like, 'Have a drink, down the hatch baby, 20 bucks if you drink it right down' and 'I'll give you 50 bucks if you can take it.' This surveillance provided crucial evidence of his methods. The blood alcohol levels of some rescued women were recorded.

Trial, Conviction and Post-Release Offences

In 1988, Gilbert Paul Jordan was tried before Justice Bouck without a jury. He was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Vanessa Lee Buckner. Justice Bouck described him as a predator who used alcohol as his deadly instrument of choice. Jordan was initially sentenced to fifteen years in prison, but this was reduced to nine years on appeal. He served six years before being released in 1997 and placed on probation, which restricted him to Vancouver Island. In June 2000, he was charged with sexual assault, assault, negligence causing bodily harm, and administering a noxious substance, alcohol. Around this time, he attempted to change his name to Paul Pearce, exploiting a loophole in British Columbia's name-change process that did not then require fingerprinting. After the loophole was closed, he dropped the application. Jordan was arrested again in 2002 for breaching probation by drinking and being in the presence of a woman while possessing alcohol, resulting in a 15-month jail sentence and three years' probation. A further arrest occurred on August 11, 2004, in Winnipeg for violating probation related to an incident at the York Hotel in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. He had been identified as being a party to binge drinking with Barb Burkley, a long term resident of the hotel with a serious drinking problem. He was acquitted of those charges in 2005.

Public Warnings and Final Years

Due to Jordan's persistent breaches of court orders, law enforcement issued public warnings. On February 3, 2005, the Saanich Police Department issued an alert describing the 73-year-old Jordan and his methods. The warning noted his significant criminal record, including manslaughter and indecent assault, and stated he used alcohol to lure his victims, with adult females as his target group. The alert listed his court-ordered conditions, which included abstaining absolutely from alcohol and not being in the company of any woman in a place where alcohol was being consumed or possessed. The police provided contact numbers and urged the public to report any violations. Jordan was 175 cm tall and weighed 79 kg. He was partially bald with grey hair and a grey goatee, had blue eyes and wore glasses. Jordan died on July 7, 2006.

Cultural Impact and Media Portrayals

The case of Gilbert Paul Jordan inspired various artistic and media works. In 1997, the television program Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science featured his case in an episode titled 'Dead Drunk.' The program described the forensic work used to convict him in 1988. Vancouver playwright Marie Clements wrote a dramatization titled The Unnatural and Accidental Women, first performed in 2004 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto. In the play, the writer focused on the story of the victims in an attempt to redress the failure of the news media to do so. Clements later adapted the play into the screenplay for the feature film Unnatural & Accidental, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. Jordan's crimes served as inspiration for the first several episodes of the Vancouver-based crime drama Da Vinci's Inquest. The show portrayed a serial killer using alcohol as a weapon against women involved in prostitution. The portrayal departed from the facts by having the killer murdered by the brother of one of his victims before arrest.

Systemic Context and Lasting Implications

Jordan's case occurred within a broader context of systemic indifference towards missing and murdered Indigenous women. The initial police response to the deaths was limited, in part because the victims were often dismissed as alcoholics or sex workers. This failure to connect the cases allowed Jordan to operate for over two decades. The legal proceedings highlighted the challenges of prosecuting serial killings where the murder weapon was a legal substance and cause of death could be attributed to the victim's own consumption. The similar fact evidence was critical in securing the manslaughter conviction, as it demonstrated a pattern of extreme recklessness. Jordan's post-release history of breaching probation and facing new charges illustrated the difficulties in supervising high-risk offenders with compulsive behaviours. His case remains an example of how vulnerability can be exploited and how complex patterns of violence can evade justice for years. Jordan is listed among serial killers by country and by number of victims.

Questions about Gilbert Paul Jordan

How many women did Gilbert Paul Jordan kill?

Gilbert Paul Jordan is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of between eight and ten women between 1965 and 1988. He was formally convicted only for the manslaughter of Vanessa Lee Buckner. The Crown presented similar fact evidence linking him to the deaths of six other First Nations women: Mary Johnson, Barbara Paul, Mary Johns, Patricia Thomas, Patricia Andrew, and Vera Harry. Another early victim, Ivy Rose, died in 1965. An additional woman, Edna Shade, died in November 1987.

What was Gilbert Jordan's method of killing?

Jordan's method involved using alcohol as a lethal weapon. He would seek out vulnerable women, often in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside bars, buy them drinks or pay them for sex, and encourage them to drink excessively with him. When they passed out, he would pour more liquor down their throats. The victims died from acute alcohol poisoning, with blood alcohol levels often far exceeding the legal limit for driving.

Why was Jordan only convicted of manslaughter, not murder?

Jordan was convicted of manslaughter by criminal negligence in the death of Vanessa Lee Buckner. The Crown reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter to increase the likelihood of a conviction, as proving the specific intent for murder was more difficult. The conviction was based on evidence that he supplied a lethal amount of liquor to a vulnerable person, demonstrating a wanton and reckless disregard for her life. Similar fact evidence from other deaths was used to establish his pattern of dangerous behaviour.

What happened to Jordan after he was released from prison?

After serving six years, Jordan was released in 1997 and placed on probation, restricted to Vancouver Island. He was charged with new offences in 2000, including sexual assault and administering a noxious substance. In 2002, he was jailed for 15 months for breaching probation by drinking. He was arrested again in 2004 for another probation violation related to an incident at the York Hotel in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, where he was binge drinking with Barb Burkley. Police issued a public warning about him in 2005.

How did the police finally catch Jordan?

Police initiated surveillance on Jordan after the alcohol poisoning death of Vanessa Lee Buckner in October 1987. Over the next month, officers observed him searching for native Indian women in the skid row area. They intervened four times to rescue women: Rosemary Wilson, Verna Chartrand, Sheila Joe, and Mabel Olson. They recorded him offering money to women to drink excessively. This surveillance evidence, combined with forensic evidence linking his fingerprints to Buckner's death and similar fact evidence from other deaths, formed the case against him.

Has Jordan's case influenced Canadian law or media?

Jordan's case has had a cultural impact in media. He was the subject of a 1997 television program Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science. A dramatization, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, was written by Marie Clements and later adapted into a feature film. Jordan's crimes also served as inspiration for the first several episodes of the crime series Da Vinci's Inquest. The case is also cited in discussions of missing and murdered Indigenous women and listed among serial killers by country.

Sources and further reading

• Gilbert Paul Jordan (Wikipedia)
• Supreme Court of Canada | 22884 (scc-csc.ca)
• Criminal court case indicators related to the Jordan ... (justice.gc.ca)
• 'Predator' back in jail | CBC News (cbc.ca)
• Crown wants booze killer kept in jail (theglobeandmail.com)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-31.