James's death was notable as she had made numerous reports to authorities dating back to 1982, alleging that she had been a victim of various acts of stalking, harassment, vandalism, home invasions, and physical attacks perpetrated by an unknown assailant.

James's death and prior allegations were subject of great dispute, as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were unable to find any evidence suggesting she had been an actual victim of a stalker.

[25] Cindy's mother relayed that, though she was reluctant to discuss her experiences, she indicated that the phone calls consisted of an individual speaking in different voices, and that, on some occasions, there was mere silence on the other end of the line.

[28] Cindy herself made conflicting statements regarding Makepeace, telling authorities she did not think he was capable of tormenting her, but also divulged to friends and coworkers that he was violently abusive during their marriage.

[29] On October 20, two tenants who rented the basement of Cindy's home reported to police that they heard strange noises upstairs on the main floor after she had left for work.

[30] A next-door neighbor informed McBride that she had witnessed a man standing outside the house on at least three different occasions, and one time entering the gate of the front yard.

[3] McBride initially suspected the call may have been made from an airport terminal, as he could hear a woman's voice in the background over a public-address system,[3] though it was eventually traced to an exchange in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond.

[34] Cindy, who remained cordial and friendly with Makepeace despite their breakup, at times invited him to her home with McBride present, as both men had in common a shared fascination with finding her alleged harasser, and would often discuss the case together.

[42] Makepeace, who had made continued attempts to reconcile with his wife, showered her with several lavish gifts in the summer of 1983 and paid her airfare to Indonesia so she could visit her brother, Roger, who was stationed there.

[44] She continued to receive numerous phone calls at home and at work, some of which were answered by her coworkers at Blenheim House, who told authorities the caller did not speak.

"[3][46] Cindy was taken to a local hospital, and in an interview with Kaban stated the last thing she remembered before being found was witnessing a man coming through the gate to her property before he assaulted her and bludgeoned her over the head with a blunt object.

"[3] Constable Kiyo Ikoma, who reported to Cindy's residence the night of the alleged attack, stated that he observed blood smeared in circular patterns on the kitchen floor, as though someone had attempted to clean evidence.

[48] In interviews, Makepeace theorized that Cindy's attackers were part of the mafia and connected to her employment at Blenheim House, which often treated children who were wards of the court.

[53] Heidi had been physically abused, and Kaban noted that the rope bound around her appeared to be the same discovered on the dead cats Cindy had found the previous autumn.

[4] In January 1985, while under hypnosis, Cindy told police she had witnessed her ex-husband murder a man and woman, then dismember their bodies with an axe while the couple were vacationing at a cabin on Thormanby Island, near Sechelt, in July 1981.

[66] In late June 1985, Cindy was involuntarily committed to the psychiatric unit at Vancouver's Lions Gate Hospital after having attempted suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs, though she later said she had not intended to kill herself.

[67] On July 2, she agreed to allow police to wiretap a phone conversation with Makepeace, during which she accused him of being the source of her problems, and confronted him about the memory she recounted under hypnosis of him murdering two people.

[3] Authorities further investigated Cindy's claims regarding the alleged dismemberments committed by Makepeace and found no evidence of any murders or missing person cases in the Gulf Islands at the time.

[63] Makepeace's attorney stated that the accusation led authorities on a "wild goose chase" searching for the cabin location of the alleged murders, which they were unable to find.

[3] Halliday, who had become involved with the case after reporting with a colleague at the August 21 fire incident, felt Cindy was lying and orchestrating her attacks, and that the various male officers who investigated them for her had been "conned by the histrionics of a pretty woman.

[4] Cindy stayed with the Woodcocks for several days following the fire, where they noted that she refused to eat and made comments that her life was no longer worth living.

[86] In January 1989, Richard Johnston, a life insurance salesman from whom Cindy had purchased a policy, moved into the basement unit of her residence; she offered him the rental on the basis that she would feel more safe with someone else living with her.

[76] In a complaint she filed against the RCMP for her perceived dismissal by several officers, she positively singled out Anderson "for his patience, unfailing professional conduct and his exemplary investigation of this case...

[93] That same day, Cindy had scheduled to have an infrared detection system installed in her home for security purposes,[7] and had planned for her friends Agnes and Tom Woodcock to play bridge and spend the night.

[95] Several days after Cindy was reported missing, her tenant, Johnston informed police he had received a call at his office from a man claiming to be her father, inquiring about her life insurance policy.

[99] Based on insect and larvae activity on the remains, forensic entomologist Gail Anderson concluded that the body had begun the decomposition process at the site where it was found as early as June 2, 1989.

"[103] The RCMP suspected Cindy's cause of death was likely a suicide or accident, based on the assumption that she had fabricated her numerous prior claims of assaults and stalking,[90][104] and this was quickly reported by several local tabloid news outlets.

[108] It was also revealed that, shortly after her death, Cindy's parents uncovered a hoard of various medications in her home (including sedatives and antipsychotic drugs) prescribed by her psychiatrists, which they disposed of by flushing down the toilet.

[109] Her younger sister, Melanie, also found a glass cutter in Cindy's purse along with a medical syringe kit, a urinary catheter, and saline solution in her bedroom.

[110] Jurors were presented with graphic footage of Cindy's decomposing corpse as it was discovered at the scene, as well as numerous accounts detailing her mental state leading up to her death.