Murdered teen last seen alive in Mississauga could have hitchhiked before violent death, police say

It’s been more than 40 years since 18-year-old Veronica Kaye was murdered after going missing in Mississauga, and police say she may have hitchhiked before her tragic and violent death.

Wednesday marks the 43rd anniversary of when the body of the Toronto teen was found in a field by two men walking a dog near Humber Station Road and Castlederg Sideroad in Caledon.

Kaye was missing for nearly a year before the grisly discovery, leaving the Toronto apartment she shared with her grandmother on Nov. 7, 1980. Her family says despite the years, the wounds have never fully healed.

“People are never the same when you lose a child or a sister…you think about it every day,” Veronica’s mother Valerie Brennan said in a video update on the more than 40-year-old cold case.

“I’m still just as angry and frustrated…in a way that as I’m nearing the end of my life, I’d like to know what somebody is held accountable for what they did.”

Investigators with the OPP say Veronica had plans to go to the Square One shopping centre in Mississauga on the day she vanished.

The 18-year-old stopped at a photography store on Hensall Circle in Mississauga to meet with a friend and drop off some clothing she had borrowed. That was the last time Veronica was seen alive, police say.

Veronica indicated to her friend that she had a ride to the mall waiting for her outside, but didn’t say who the driver was, police said.

And while investigators say Veronica didn’t lead a “high-risk lifestyle,” it’s possible she planned on hitchhiking to the mall – a trend police say was more common at the time and something Veronica and many of her friends were known to do.

When Veronica was discovered she was wearing the same clothing she was last seen in by her friend in Mississauga, police said.

Few investigative leads have been shared with the public, but police say a unique button found with Veronica’s body may hold a clue to her killer.

Investigators have yet to find a match for the silver and gold button – which has a symbol on it which resembles a figure eight – and say identifying where the button came from could help solve the case.

Police also found hair samples on Veronica’s body and hope that future advances in DNA technology will help identify who they came from.

The murder may be decades old but police are still searching for Veronica’s killer and say the investigation will continue until they have answers for her family.

A $50,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can provide police with information leading to an arrest and conviction in Veronica’s murder.

Anyone with information about this incident can contact the OPP by calling 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips may also be provided to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or visiting www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Veronica Kaye, 18, was found dead in 1981 after going missing in Mississauga. This silver and gold button was found with her body.