Shivangi Sinha
In April 1992, Nancy Blackburn and Ian Blackburn suddenly went missing, leaving their friends and family worried. The couple had gone to spend the weekend at their farm in Caledon, Canada, as they often did for extended periods, but this time they never returned home. Concerned by their disappearance, family members began searching for them, which eventually led to the horrifying discovery of their remains inside the trunk of Nancy’s car parked outside their home in Toronto. Discovery+’s ‘The Lake Erie Murders: Cabin Fever’ presents a detailed timeline of the case and the sequence of events that ultimately led to the perpetrator’s arrest.
Nancy and Ian Blackburn’s Remains Were Found in the Trunk of Her Car
Ian Gordon Francis Blackburn was born in 1937, while Nancy Dorothy Coles Blackburn was born in 1942. The two eventually married and built a very comfortable life together in Toronto, Canada. Although they did not have children of their own, Nancy’s sister lived nearby, and her nephews and nieces shared a very close bond with both Nancy and Ian. The couple was known for regularly entertaining friends and making sure they attended important social gatherings and events. They carried a kindness and goodness that deeply touched almost everyone who knew them.
Nancy and Ian Gordon owned an octagonal barn property in Caledon that they frequently visited. While they spent most of their time at their home in Toronto, the farm was their place to relax and unwind with friends. Many of their close friends and family members also owned farms nearby, and the group often hosted one another for gatherings and visits. On April 7, 1992, Ian went ahead to the farm while Nancy stayed behind in Toronto. She planned to finish some work before joining him later. However, after nearly a week had passed, none of their friends or family members had heard from either of them, which immediately raised concern.
Nancy stopped showing up to work, and when the couple failed to attend a friend’s gathering the following week, their family became convinced that something was wrong. They began searching for them immediately. Several people had noticed that Ian’s car was still parked outside their farmhouse in Caledon, even though the couple was nowhere to be found. One family member then decided to check their home in Toronto, where they noticed Nancy’s car parked outside. After searching the vehicle, they made the discovery of Nancy and Ian’s remains inside the trunk. Nancy had ligature marks on her wrists and ankles and had suffered blunt force trauma to the head. Medical evidence also reportedly indicated signs of sexual assault. Ian’s cause of death was later determined to be asphyxiation.
Nancy and Ian Blackburn’s Killer Went on a Crime Spree That Led to His Arrest
In the car where Nancy and Ian Blackburn’s remains were discovered, police also found a napkin stained with blood. On April 7, 1992, the same day Ian had left their home in Toronto, a phone call had reportedly been made from the farm to their house. Investigators believed that after receiving the call, Nancy had gone to the farm, while their remains were later transported and left at their Toronto residence. At the farm property in Caledon, police also recovered a handwritten list of World War ammunition, which they suspected had been written by the killer. However, despite the evidence collected, investigators had very few leads in the case and eventually decided to release certain details to the public in hopes of generating information.
A news article featuring the case of Ian and Nancy, along with the list recovered from the farm, was eventually published. Soon afterward, Alison Shaw contacted the police and stated that she recognized the handwriting. She told investigators that it looked very similar to the handwriting of her husband’s former business partner, David Snow. When police investigated further, they discovered that David operated an antique store called Simply Timeless Antiques. Authorities also learned that he had met Ian in 1991 and had reportedly become fascinated by the rare farm property in Caledon. David had apparently shown interest in fixing up the property for a potential buyer, but after his business began struggling financially, he disappeared.
David had reportedly been involved in a series of burglaries, violent attacks, and home invasions in the same area where Ian and Nancy’s farm was located. Investigators believed that Ian may have arrived at the farm and discovered Snow squatting on the property, leading to a confrontation between the two men. Police theorized that Snow may have forced Ian to call Nancy to the farm, where she was assaulted and killed. Authorities further believed that Snow later transported Ian in Nancy’s car and then drove to the couple’s home in Toronto, where Ian was also killed. Police began tracking Snow closely, and on July 12, 1992, they arrested him while he was allegedly attempting to kidnap a woman. He had been on a violent crime spree in the weeks leading up to his arrest. His blood was matched to the one found at the scene and it proved to be concrete evidence against him in the Blackburn case.
David Snow is Behind Bars in Canada Today
David Snow faced numerous charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. He was ultimately found guilty not only of the murder charges but also of robbery, kidnapping, possession of unregistered weapons, sexual assault with a weapon, using a firearm while committing an offense, choking, uttering threats to cause death, and assault causing bodily harm. He was declared a dangerous offender and a sexual deviant and was handed an indeterminate sentence. Even during his incarceration, his legal troubles continued.
In 2008, he was convicted again on charges of assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats. In 2023, his request for parole was denied, and since then, he has waived his right to further review hearings. Reports state that he expressed a desire to be eventually released into a community residential facility and hoped to pursue part-time employment or volunteer activities. However, David Snow remains incarcerated in Canada and is likely to spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
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