UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: Jillian Fuller’s murder

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A woman attacked, killed in her Vancouver home and then set on fire; it’s been more than two decades and the case of Jillian Fuller continues to elude police.

Fuller was 28 years old when she was murdered. She was well-liked and described as outgoing, intelligent, and with a bright future until March 4th, 1993 when firefighters were called to her apartment on Granville Street near 70th Avenue. Once inside, crews discovered her charred remains.

A fire had purposely been set after Fuller was killed, to get rid of any evidence. Vancouver Police Constable Brian Montague says whoever committed this crime knew her.

“She was someone who, by all accounts, you would never expect to be the victim of a murder. Usually, the victims are involved in some sort of high-risk activity or high-risk behaviour that makes them a target, but this isn’t the case. We also believe there are others out there that know who committed this crime. We think this is a solvable crime, even though it’s gone 22 years without someone being held responsible,” he tells us.

“But memories deteriorate. Witnesses move on; some pass away and information is lost. But we are hoping the information that is out there finds its way to us.”

He says shortly after Fuller was killed, investigators received a number of tips that were checked out, but never led anywhere.

“It’s pretty rare that someone commits an offense like this and keeps it to themselves. They usually tell somebody or they usually make some sort of a mistake and leave some information behind or leave some sort of trace and there’s a witness out there that has that piece of the puzzle that will allow us to solve it. Somebody out there has information that will be helpful to the Vancouver Police — that will be helpful to the investigation,” adds Montague.

There are sketchy details about who Fuller was with before she was killed. She was last seen leaving the Rock Cellar Pub around 1:30 a.m. with a man who has never been identified.

“Obviously we’d like to know who this other person was,” says Montague. “We’re talking 22 years ago, though. So, some of the evidence that we rely on heavily today — like video evidence — didn’t exist to the extent it does now. Needless to say, a crime like this would probably be solved — or potentially be solved — fairly quickly today. But because this occurred 22 years ago, it becomes much more difficult.”

The motive for the murder has never been determined and it’s something Montague notes can be difficult to nail down.

“Until we determine who is responsible, motive is a real guess. Until we have the opportunity to talk to that person and interview that individual, even then sometimes the motive is not clear. It’s something that usually is determined at the very end in many investigations. It’s something that is often more speculation than fact.”

He admits having a cold case like this on the VPD’s hands is tough because they’d like to give Fuller’s family some closure.

“We are constantly in contact with many of the families of victims, especially with unsolved homicides. It is frustrating. It’s frustrating for our investigators. We want to find out who’s responsible for this. We want to hold them accountable, but I don’t think it’s as frustrating for us as it is for the family, of course. We take these things very personally. Our investigators don’t forget. They don’t forget about the victims and they don’t forget about the families.”

The Fuller family issued a statement about Jillian on the 20th anniversary of her murder:

“The toll that my sister’s death has caused my family over the last 20 years is truly immeasurable. It cast a dark cloud on our family that has never been lifted. Her loss has left a deep wound in all our lives, and the fact that her killer was never found means that wound will always be unhealed.”

This case is featured on the VPD’s Cold Cases website and if you have any information you are asked to call their Homicide Unit at (604) 717-2500.

Tune in this week for more on this series, as we take a look at some of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in BC.