Sharron Prior

Sharron Prior was a 16-year-old girl from Montreal, Quebec, whose 1975 abduction and murder became one of Quebec’s best-known cold cases.

Sharron Prior was a 16-year-old girl from Montreal, Quebec, whose 1975 abduction and murder became one of Quebec’s best-known cold cases. Her killing remained unsolved for nearly 48 years until investigators identified Franklin Maywood Romine as the perpetrator through DNA evidence and genetic genealogy in 2023.

Background

Sharron Prior was a teenager living in Montreal’s Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood. She was born around 1958 and was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. She became known publicly because of the circumstances of her disappearance and murder in 1975.

Disappearance and death

Prior left home on 29 March 1975 after leaving to meet friends in Montreal. She was later reported missing. Her body was discovered on 1 April 1975 in Longueuil, Quebec. Investigators determined she had been raped, beaten, and suffocated.

Investigation and cold-case status

The murder remained unsolved for 48 years and was widely followed in Quebec. It became one of the province's best-known cold cases. Prior's family continued to press for answers and kept public attention on the investigation.

Identification of the killer

In 2023, police announced that preserved DNA evidence from the crime scene had been matched to Franklin Maywood Romine, an American man from West Virginia who had died in 1982. Investigators used genetic genealogy and supporting evidence to confirm the identification. Because Romine had died, no criminal charges were laid in the case.