When plumbers pulled a fleshy substance from a blocked basement apartment drain in Oshawa, Ontario, they didn't expect to uncover a decade-long trail of murder. The ensuing investigation exposed Adam Strong, a predator whose chilling crimes shocked Canada and exposed systemic vulnerabilities that left vulnerable young women exposed to danger.
The case unraveled in late December 2017 when apartment residents complained about backed-up plumbing. Plumbers arrived at the McMillan Drive home, cleared the blockage, and found human remains trapped in the pipes. Their quick-thinking call to the Durham Regional Police Service triggered an investigation that revealed a horrifying reality: Strong had been murdering, dismembering, and concealing victims inside his residential rental unit for years.
The Victims: Rori Hache and Kandis Fitzpatrick
The investigation directly linked Strong to the deaths of two teenage girls from the region, both of whom vanished nearly a decade apart.
- Rori Hache: The 18-year-old vanished in August 2017. She was pregnant at the time and struggling with personal challenges. Weeks later, a fisherman discovered a gruesome package floating in the Oshawa Harbour—a human torso. DNA testing later confirmed it belonged to Hache.
- Kandis Fitzpatrick: The 19-year-old disappeared in 2008. For nearly ten years, her family searched tirelessly without answers. Her body was never recovered initially, leaving her loved ones in agonizing limbo until forensic evidence from Strong's apartment proved she suffered a similar fate.
How the Investigation Unfolded
Strong's arrest wasn't the result of brilliant police surveillance; it was pure mechanical failure. When the plumbers pulled organic tissue from the clogged drain, police arrived at Strong's door. Confronted by officers, Strong casually admitted defeat, stating, “OK, you got me, the gig's up, it's a body.”
A search of his bedroom freezer revealed the remaining parts of Rori Hache's body. Forensic analysis of the apartment walls, ceiling, knives, and blood spatter revealed a much deeper history. Analysts discovered DNA matching Kandis Fitzpatrick, showing that Strong had committed a similar murder years prior and successfully hidden it due to primitive disposal methods and overlooked disappearances.
The Trial and Conviction
During his 2021 trial, Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca presided over the grim details Global News covered extensively. Strong admitted to dismembering the victims but attempted to argue that prosecutors couldn't prove how they died.
The court rejected this defense. Strong was convicted of:
- First-degree murder in the death of Rori Hache, establishing that he struck her repeatedly with a hammer while she lay bound in his bedroom.
- Manslaughter in the death of Kandis Fitzpatrick, given that her body wasn't recovered at the time of the initial trial.
In May 2021, Strong received a sentence of life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. In a bizarre twist years later, Strong actually led police to Fitzpatrick's buried remains in a wooded area in Oshawa, providing closure to her grieving family after more than a decade of searching.
Common Misconceptions About the Case
True crime discussions online often misrepresent how serial predators operate, leading to persistent myths about this specific investigation.
- Myth: Police tracked Strong down through advanced digital surveillance. Fact: He was caught solely because his plumbing system clogged, forcing emergency repairs that exposed physical evidence to civilian workers.
- Myth: Both victims disappeared under identical circumstances. Fact: Hache and Fitzpatrick vanished nearly ten years apart, and local authorities initially treated their disappearances as separate missing persons cases without connecting them to a shared perpetrator.
- Myth: Strong showed genuine remorse after his capture. Fact: Court transcripts show he expressed frustration only about getting caught and attempted to bargain for prison privileges by withholding information about the victims' remains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Adam Strong's motive?
Investigators and forensic psychologists noted that Strong operated out of deep-seated deviant compulsions and predatory opportunism, targeting vulnerable young women who lacked social safety nets.
Why wasn't Strong caught after the 2008 murder?
Kandis Fitzpatrick vanished during a turbulent period in her life, and investigators lacked physical evidence or forensic leads. Because Strong successfully used household plumbing to dispose of her remains, no immediate trail linked him to the crime until the second murder triggered a complete forensic teardown of his apartment.
Where is Adam Strong now?
Following his conviction and sentencing in Ontario, Strong was transferred to a maximum-security federal correctional facility where he continues to serve his life sentence.
