Toronto police mark fourth anniversary of Chris Skinner’s murder

Homicide investigators say an update on the cold case to be released soon

On the fourth anniversary of the brutal murder of Chris Skinner, Toronto Police Service announced it will be soon be releasing new details and developments in the case.

Skinner was murdered Oct 18, 2009, near the corner of Adelaide and Victoria streets. Eyewitnesses say they saw between two and four men beat Skinner to the ground and then drive over him with both the front and rear wheels of a black, four-door SUV with high-intensity lights.

Video images of the suspected vehicle were recovered by police from nearby security cameras, but police have been unable to identify any suspects in the murder.

In the immediate aftermath of the killing, many of Skinner’s friends in the gay community speculated that the crime may have been hate-motivated.

But last year, police dismissed the possibility that the crime was triggered by hate and decided to instead focus on the theory that the altercation may have started after Skinner accidentally or purposely touched the SUV while hailing a taxi.

To mark the third anniversary last year, the Skinner family increased the existing police reward to $150,000, thanks to donations from friends of the family.

Xtra is following the story.

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