A 14-year-old Pickering teen, obsessed with serial killers, has pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of an 83-year-old woman who was simply raking leaves outside her home. The disturbing details of the agreed statement of facts were released to the media this week, revealing a horrifying tale of a youth who was a walking time bomb and had an urge to kill for weeks.
The Murder of Eleanor Doney
On the afternoon of May 29, 2025, the teen, carrying a briefcase and dressed in a long black coat, black medical face mask, and black gloves, stopped outside Eleanor Doney's home on Lynn Heights Drive in Pickering, Ontario. Doney was gardening outside. After chatting for about two minutes, the teen retrieved a knife from his briefcase and stabbed the retired teacher in the left side of her neck.
According to the agreed statement, Doney staggered backward and fled toward her house, but the teen chased her, stabbing her in the back and neck. She fell on her back on the sidewalk, and the teen bent over her, stabbing her repeatedly in the face. He then grabbed his briefcase and ran eastward. A passerby saw Doney at about 3:02 p.m. and called police, who arrived nine minutes later. Despite CPR efforts, Doney died shortly after at Sunnybrook hospital.
Teen's Obsession with Serial Killers
Court heard that the teen was obsessed with Yoshikage Kira, a suit-wearing businessman who is secretly a serial killer in the popular manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. An examination of his electronic devices revealed a new and increasingly intense interest in sociopathy, psychopathy, serial killers, stabbing, stalking, and avoiding detection in the weeks leading up to the murder.
His internet searches included videos on how to apply maximum pressure when stabbing, how to tell if you are a psychopath or sociopath, how serial killers got away, and information about serial killer Ted Bundy. On the day of the murder, he accessed 18 YouTube videos about Bundy and six videos about stalking, as well as an AI version of Yoshikage Kira.
Evidence and Aftermath
Police found a knife in a wooded area that tests showed was used in the slaying. A search warrant at his home uncovered a Cuisinart knife set with his fingerprints on the packaging, one blade missing, and clothes he was believed to have been wearing at the time of the murder. Police also seized his computer and phone.
The teen had been suspended from school for five days the day before the murder for bringing a knife to school. In a group chat with friends on the day of his suspension, he said he was planning to take a train to Toronto to avoid arrest and might kill something during that time.
The boy, whose name is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, admitted to the planned and deliberate murder in April. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for next month.
