Gilbert Paul Jordan

Gilbert Paul Jordan (né Elsie; December 12, 1931 – July 7, 2006), known as The Boozing Barber, was a Canadian serial killer who is believed to have committed the so-called "alcohol murders" in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Background Jordan, a former barber, was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women between 1965 and 1988; he was the first Canadian known to use alcohol as a murder weapon. Jordan's lengthy criminal record started in 1952 and includes convictions for rape, indecent assault, abduction, hit and run, drunk driving and car theft.

In 1976, Jordan was examined by Dr. Tibor Bezeredi as part of a court proceeding. Bezeredi diagnosed Jordan as having an antisocial personality, defined by Bezeredi as "a person whose conduct is maladjusted in terms of social behaviour; disregard for the rights of others which often results in unlawful activities".

Killings Jordan is thought to have begun serial killing in 1965. He is considered a serial killer as he was linked to the deaths of between eight and ten women, but was only convicted in the manslaughter death of one woman. His victims were First Nations women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Typically he would find women in bars, and buy them drinks, or pay them for sex and encourage them to drink with him. When they passed out, he would pour liquor down their throats. The resulting deaths were reported as alcohol poisoning and police paid little attention, because some of his victims suffered from alcoholism. Although the newspapers often described the women as prostitutes, not all were involved in prostitution.

Court proceedings show "he sought out approximately 200 women per year for binge-drinking episodes covering the period from 1980 to 1988. He was also looking for sexual gratification."

Mary Johnson, November 30, 1980, at the Aylmer Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .34 Barbara Paul, September 11, 1981, at the Glenaird Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .41 Mary Johns, July 30, 1982, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .76 Patricia Thomas, December 15, 1984, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .51 Patricia Andrew, June 28, 1985, at 2503 Kingsway (his barbershop) Blood alcohol level: .79 Vera Harry, November 19, 1986, at the Clifton Hotel, Blood alcohol level: .04

Investigation On October 12, 1987, Vanessa Lee Buckner was found naked on the floor of the Niagara Hotel after a night of drinking with Jordan. There is some debate regarding the victim. Some sources indicate that she was a white woman, not a heavy drinker, nor was she a prostitute. 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 served six years for the manslaughter conviction. After his release, he was 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. In 2000, Jordan attempted to change his name to Paul Pearce. At the time, a name change in British Columbia did not require fingerprinting or a criminal check. After the loophole was closed, he dropped the application.

Jordan was arrested again, in 2002, for breach of probation because he was found drinking, and in the presence of a woman while in possession of alcohol. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in jail, followed by three years' probation and strict conditions. Upon his release, police issued a public warning.

Jordan died in 2006.

A dramatization, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, was written by Vancouver playwright Marie Clements and performed in, among other places, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto (2004). 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 her play into the screenplay for the feature film Unnatural & Accidental, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.

Jordan and his crimes served as inspiration for the first several episodes of Da Vinci's Inquest. The crime series, set in Vancouver, portrayed a serial killer using alcohol as a murder weapon and stalking women involved in prostitution. The portrayal departed from the facts by having the killer die before he could be arrested; he was murdered by the brother of one of his victims, tipped to his identity by a detective.