Her disappearance led the Ontario Provincial Police to discover that three other seniors—John Semple, 90, John Crofts, 71, and Ralph Grant, 70—were also missing, presumed murdered.
Though Lawrence lived a solitary life, and was known locally as the "Cat Lady," she had previously worked as a poet and journalist, and was in the process of reporting her landlords for "frauds, theft, mistreatment and neglect" at the time of her disappearance.
[3] In 1940, at age 19, Lawrence began work as a freelance writer for the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and others.
For $600 a month, Lawrence rented an eight-by-ten-foot shed that had limited heat, and no insulation or running water.
Adult Protective Services was notified, and began making arrangements to find Lawrence another home.
She was reported missing by 57-year-old Allan Marshall, a former limo driver who also resided on the Laan farm and had become close with Lawrence.
Marshall told police he heard gunshots and saw a backhoe being operated around the time of Lawrence's disappearance.
[8] This led police to uncover a "pension cheque scam," and charged David, Walter, Walter's wife Karen, Paul, and Kathrine with defrauding the federal government of the benefit money it was providing Semple, Crofts, Grant, and other residents who had died or were missing.
Shortly afterward, the OPP held its first-ever press conference on the topic of Lawrence's disappearance and suspected homicide in the 21 years that her case had been open.
[13][14] Later that year, Sherman hosted the fourth season of the CBC podcast Uncover, called "The Cat Lady Case.