Murder of Sharron Prior

Background and Disappearance

Sharron Kim Prior was born on February 9, 1959, to Yvonne Prior. Her father was in the Canadian military, and her parents were divorced. Sharron had twin younger sisters, Doreen and Moreen, who were two years younger than her, and a younger brother. The family lived on Congregation Street in the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood, a working-class area of Montreal. On the evening of Saturday, March 29, 1975, which was also Easter weekend, the 16-year-old left her home around 7:00 p.m. Her plan was to meet friends and her boyfriend at a nearby pizzeria on Wellington Street, a walk of only about five minutes. When Sharron had not returned home by 11:00 p.m., her mother, Yvonne, reported her daughter missing to the police. A major search involving police and volunteers was immediately launched throughout the Pointe-Saint-Charles area, but no trace of Sharron was found that night. The search continued into the next day, with volunteers combing nearby parks and alleys.

Discovery of the Body and Crime Scene

Three days after her disappearance, on April 1, 1975, Sharron Prior's body was discovered in a wooded, vacant lot in the city of Longueuil, located across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal. The discovery was made by a local beekeeper checking on his hives. The body was found a significant distance from her home. Investigators found a man's T-shirt that had been used to restrain Sharron. They also identified distinct tire tracks in the vicinity of where her body was left. The immediate examination of the scene indicated a violent struggle had taken place. The location was isolated, and the act of moving the body across the river suggested a perpetrator familiar with the broader Montreal area. Police secured the area and collected the T-shirt and soil samples from the tire tracks as key evidence.

Initial Investigation and Forensic Evidence

The autopsy confirmed that Sharron Prior had been raped, beaten, and suffocated. Forensic teams extracted biological evidence, including semen, from the T-shirt found at the scene. Despite this, the DNA was insufficient to be tested with the technology available in 1975, but it was preserved in storage. In a potentially related incident, a 22-year-old woman reported that on the same night as Sharron's disappearance, a tall, white, English-speaking man with blue eyes, brown hair, and a moustache had attempted to kidnap her at knifepoint on Wellington Street. This witness provided a physical description that would later become a significant point of comparison. Over the course of the investigation, police compiled a list of 122 suspects, but the case gradually grew cold as years turned into decades without a definitive lead. The evidence from the shirt was kept at the Longueuil police service's evidence room.

The DNA Breakthrough and Genetic Genealogy

A major break in the case occurred in June 2022 when advances in DNA testing technology made it possible for investigators to conduct DNA testing on the evidence. The Quebec legal science laboratory used advanced DNA amplification to obtain a full genetic profile from the T-shirt. Investigators, led by Longueuil Police detective Éric Racicot, then employed a novel technique focusing on the Y chromosome within the DNA sample. The Y chromosome is passed down unchanged from father to son, allowing for familial searches in commercial genetic databases. This Y-chromosome analysis pointed investigators toward the Romine family surname from Charleston, West Virginia. Police work established that a Franklin Maywood Romine had been living in Montreal at the time of the murder. Key corroborating evidence included the fact that Romine's physical appearance matched the 1975 witness description of the attempted kidnapper, and his vehicle was compatible with the tire tracks found at the crime scene.

The investigative steps to confirm Franklin Maywood Romine's identity involved a coordinated international effort. DNA samples from the crime scene were sent to a laboratory in West Virginia. The DNA was matched to Romine's relatives using data from genealogical websites like GEDmatch. Quebec's legal science laboratory, under the direction of Sarah Bourgoin, reconstructed a Romine family tree. Police in Quebec worked with the FBI to see if Romine could be linked to other unsolved murders during his criminal career in the United States.

• Genetic profiles from the crime scene were compared against American databases, leading to the Romine family.
• Quebec scientists traced the DNA to four brothers from West Virginia, including Franklin and his siblings.
• Investigators met with Romine's living brothers in West Virginia to obtain DNA samples, which provided a near match.
• On May 2, 2023, with Longueuil police present, local authorities in West Virginia exhumed Romine's body from a cemetery in Charleston for definitive DNA testing.
• Forensic experts at Quebec's laboratory successfully extracted a genetic profile from Romine's remains.
• On May 23, 2023, police confirmed a 100 per cent DNA match, conclusively identifying Franklin Maywood Romine as Sharron Prior's killer.

Detective Éric Racicot noted the new tools of forensic biology were powerful, but the DNA evidence was a guiding lead that still required confirmation by classic police techniques. Investigators had to verify alibis and check vehicle records to support the genetic findings. For example, they confirmed that Franklin Maywood Romine's car was compatible with the tire tracks found near Sharron Prior's body in Longueuil. These traditional methods were essential to conclusively link Romine to the 1975 murder.

The Killer: Franklin Maywood Romine

Franklin Maywood Romine was a career criminal from West Virginia, United States, who was 36 years old when he died in Montreal in 1982. Romine had an extensive criminal record that began with juvenile offences. At the time of Sharron Prior's murder in 1975, Romine was a fugitive from justice in the United States. He had been on parole since 1973 for a breaking and entering conviction and was facing new charges for breaking and entering and rape in West Virginia. He fled to Canada and was living at addresses in both Montreal and Longueuil. Romine's criminal history included at least one prior rape conviction in the United States. Despite his history and his presence in the area, he was not among the 122 original suspects investigated by police. Approximately seven months after killing Prior, Romine was arrested by Montreal police for a break-in and was extradited back to the United States. He later returned to Montreal, where he died. With the killer deceased, no criminal charges could be laid, and the case was officially closed following the DNA confirmation. Following the identification, police began working with Canadian and American agencies to determine if Romine was responsible for other unsolved murders.

Family's Pursuit of Justice and Public Impact

The Prior family, especially Sharron's mother Yvonne and her siblings Doreen, Moreen, and her brother, endured a 48-year quest for answers. The sisters consistently advocated for the case to remain active and publicly thanked the Pointe-Saint-Charles community for its enduring support. At a news conference in May 2023, Doreen and Moreen Prior spoke emotionally about their sister and the resolution of the case. Doreen stated that while solving the case would never bring Sharron back, knowing her killer was no longer on earth and could not harm anyone else brought them a measure of closure. Moreen thanked detectives Éric Racicot and Sophie Touga for their relentless dedication. The family's persistence was cited by police as a key factor in ensuring the case was never forgotten. The family maintained a website called 'Justice for Sharron' to keep her memory alive.

Investigative Legacy and Broader Implications

The resolution of Sharron Prior's murder is a landmark example of how modern forensic science can solve historical crimes. Detective Éric Racicot emphasized that the case was cracked through a combination of new investigative techniques and revolutionary advances in forensic biology, particularly Y-chromosome analysis and genetic genealogy. Following the identification of Romine, Longueuil police announced they were collaborating with law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States, including the FBI, to determine if Romine could be linked to other unsolved cold cases during his periods of criminal activity. The case has renewed hope for solving other long-dormant investigations and highlighted the critical importance of preserving physical evidence. Sarah Bourgoin of Quebec's forensic laboratory noted that growing DNA databases provide potent tools for law enforcement. The case also demonstrated the value of inter-agency cooperation between Canadian police forces and U.S. authorities.

Case Timeline and Key Developments

The investigation of Sharron Prior's murder spanned nearly five decades from her disappearance to its final resolution. Major events included her disappearance on 29 March 1975 and the discovery of her body three days later. A break occurred in June 2022 when advances in DNA technology allowed for new testing. In May 2023, DNA evidence confirmed Franklin Maywood Romine as the killer, officially closing the case.

Media Coverage and Cultural References

The murder of Sharron Prior received significant media attention from the outset in 1975 and remained a topic of public interest in Quebec for decades. The 2023 breakthrough was covered extensively by national and local news outlets, with police holding a formal news conference to announce the identification of Franklin Romine. The case has also been the subject of dedicated true crime podcasts and documentaries, reflecting its status as a high-profile Canadian cold case. An episode of the Canadian True Crime podcast detailed the story, and CTV's W5 series produced a documentary titled 'Finding Sharron's Killer.' A French-language documentary, 'Ne repose pas en paix / Don't Rest in Peace,' directed by Marie-Christine Bergeron, also examines the case. The family maintained a website dedicated to Sharron's memory. This sustained media attention helped maintain pressure on investigators. The Canadian True Crime podcast donates monthly to organizations like the Association for Families of Persons Assassinated or Disappeared (AFPAD).

Questions about Murder of Sharron Prior

Who was Sharron Prior?

Sharron Prior was a 16-year-old Montreal schoolgirl who was murdered in 1975. Born on February 9, 1959, she lived in the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood with her family. She had twin sisters and a brother. Her father was in the Canadian military. Her abduction and killing while on a short walk to meet friends became one of Quebec's most haunting unsolved crimes for nearly five decades.

How was Sharron Prior's murder solved after 48 years?

The case was solved through advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy. In June 2022, improved techniques allowed scientists to obtain a full DNA profile from evidence preserved since 1975. Investigators used Y-chromosome analysis to trace the DNA to the Romine family in West Virginia. This led them to Franklin Maywood Romine, a fugitive living in Montreal at the time. His body was exhumed in May 2023, and a definitive DNA match confirmed he was the killer.

Who was Franklin Maywood Romine?

Franklin Maywood Romine was an American career criminal from Charleston, West Virginia. He was 36 when he died in Montreal in 1982. At the time of the murder in 1975, he was a fugitive from U.S. justice, wanted on charges including rape. He had a long criminal record beginning in childhood and was living in Montreal and Longueuil. His physical description and car matched evidence from the crime scene.

What role did the Prior family play in solving the case?

The Prior family played a crucial role by advocating for the case to remain active for 48 years. Their persistent public appeals and cooperation with authorities kept media and public attention focused on the cold case. Police specifically credited the family's persistence as a key factor that motivated investigators to pursue new forensic technologies. This relentless effort ultimately led to the DNA breakthrough in June 2022 and the conclusive match in May 2023.

What was the significance of the DNA evidence in this case?

The DNA evidence was the critical element. Advances in June 2022 allowed for the creation of a full genetic profile from the preserved T-shirt. The innovative use of Y-chromosome analysis enabled a familial search in genetic databases, identifying the Romine family. This technique, combined with traditional police work, provided the conclusive proof needed to solve the decades-old mystery.

Why were no charges laid in the case?

No charges were laid because the identified perpetrator, Franklin Maywood Romine, had died in 1982. The Longueuil Police confirmed his guilt through DNA evidence in May 2023, matching samples from the crime scene to his exhumed body. Since Romine was deceased, the Canadian justice system could not prosecute him for the 1975 murder. The official confirmation allowed the case to be closed and finally provided definitive answers to Sharron Prior's family.

Sources and further reading

• Murder of Sharron Prior (Wikipedia)
• Quebec Police Identify Killer In 1975 Cold Case Murder Of ... (blueline.ca)
• DNA nails Montreal teen's killer in 1975 cold case (cbc.ca)
• The Murder of Sharron Prior, Canadian True Crime (podcasts.apple.com)
• The Murder of Sharron Prior (canadiantruecrime.ca)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-29.