Canadian True Crime — “Bruce Lorenz [1]”

Host: Kristi Lee
Episode Release: November 22, 2024
Episode Theme:
An in-depth, meticulously researched account of the sensational 1978 murder of Toronto lawyer Bruce Lorenz, exploring a tangled web of marital betrayal, financial hardship, police missteps, and courtroom drama. This is part one of a two-episode series, leading up to an unexpected twist in the investigation and trial.

Overview

Kristi Lee unpacks the infamous murder case of Bruce Lorenz—a real estate lawyer found dead in his car near Toronto’s Warden subway station in 1978. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident quickly unravels into a high-profile investigation involving his wife, her former lover, law enforcement missteps, and a 10-week trial that captured national attention. Drawing from extensive media sources and the writings of legendary defense lawyer Edward Greenspan, the episode paints a detailed portrait of ambition, jealousy, lies, and legal maneuvering.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime Scene

• Timeline: March 20, 1978, early evening ([01:26]–[06:15])
• A parking lot attendant at Warden Station discovers a man’s legs protruding from a Mustang’s window; assumes he’s fixing something or “just a drunk sleeping it off.”
• The scene remains unchanged for over an hour—upon a closer look, police find Bruce Lorenz dead in the car.
  Details: Head reclined on the console, blood everywhere, but wallet and valuables untouched.
• Police initially “conclude that this man had likely stepped on some ice in the parking lot and fell to the ground where he sustained a grave head wound.”
  ([05:32])

2. The Missed Gunshot Wound

• Twist: Morgue attendant discovers a “small hole behind the victim’s ear”—Lorenz was actually “shot in the head with what looked like a .22 caliber bullet.”
  ([06:48])
• Police must return to his widow, Laura Lee, correcting their mistake and retrieving his belongings.

3. Early Suspicions and Odd Behavior

• Laura Lee had already called both her police officer brother-in-law and Gordon Allen (her ex-lover) before police returned with the update. Notably, she tells Bruce’s brother that Bruce “had been shot dead”—information not yet public or given to her ([07:50]).

4. Background and Motive: Marital Breakdown and Love Triangle

• Narrative rewind:
  • In 1975, Laura Lee meets Gordon Allen in a seedy Toronto bar ([10:00]-[13:00]).
  • She leaves Bruce for Gordon; he moves in, the kids call him Dad, and Laura Lee never formalizes a divorce.
  • Bruce, pragmatic yet heartbroken, provides legal support for Laura Lee and Gordon’s new home and failed furniture business.
  • Financial hardship: Their franchise collapses, leading to bankruptcy and relational stress; Laura Lee reconciles with Bruce ([14:00]-[17:00]).
  • Marriage appears repaired—until Laura Lee, dissatisfied again, reinitiates her relationship with Gordon ([16:00]).

5. Day of the Murder

• March 20, 1978:
  • Lorenz is denied partnership at his law firm; calls Laura Lee to share the bad news ([19:33]).
  • Witnesses see Bruce with a red-haired man in a light coat on the subway—the same “type” who’s later spotted at the Mustang with Bruce ([20:00]-[21:30]).

6. Police Focus on Gordon Allen

• Police attempt to tie Gordon to the scene—showing grainy photos to witnesses, wiretapping his roommate, and Laura Lee’s phone ([23:00]-[24:30]).
• Phone logs reveal “an astonishing amount of contact” between Laura Lee and Gordon—even while Lauralee is in Florida on vacation with Bruce ([24:30]).

7. Wiretapped Calls and Investigation Pressure

• Notable dramatized excerpt:
  • Laura Lee and Gordon discuss being under suspicion ([24:46]):

    "Getting a lot of heat?" – Laura Lee
    "Oh yeah." – Gordon
    "Pretty severe?" – Laura Lee
    "No... I'm fine." – Gordon
    

• Police employ classic “divide and conquer” interrogation tactics—none work ([25:03]-[25:34]).
• Lauralee insists to others that Gordon “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Both maintain innocence, but their phone records and physical evidence say otherwise ([25:35]).

8. Evidence and Circumstances

• Police find a .22 caliber gun (family owned, missing) and a remote control device at Gordon’s, but no murder weapon ([26:40]).
• Most damning: A gas station credit card receipt putting Gordon in Toronto (not Orillia) during crucial timeframe ([27:40]-[29:00]).
  • Receipt places him in Downsview (NW Toronto) with a window between 5:45 and 7:10pm; Bruce is killed at about 6:40pm elsewhere in Toronto.
• Laura Lee’s suspicious behavior: She asks Bruce’s office about a new will (which left her as beneficiary) the day after his death ([30:35]).
• Police attempt to trick Gordon with a fake affidavit claiming Laura Lee called him obsessed and threatened violence; Gordon is stunned but denies it ([32:50]).

9. Arrest and Media Sensation

• Both Laura Lee Lorenz and Gordon Allen charged with first-degree murder.
• The press focuses on Laura Lee’s appearance and courtroom drama ([34:40]).
• Laura Lee is defended by Clayton Powell (noted for high-profile cases), Gordon by Edward Greenspan (a rising star in Canadian defence law) ([36:40]).

10. Lawyer Strategy and Alibi Issues

• Gordon admits to lying about his location on the day of the murder but claims to have come for a Toronto date—which he says was cancelled; he panics and lies to the police ([37:50]-[39:15]).
• Greenspan finds that Gordon has lied about his education, resulting in further charges for perjury and an additional stint in jail ([39:15]).

11. Bombshell Plea Bargain: Laura Lee Turns Crown Witness

• Pre-trial surprise ([42:38]-[49:00]):
  • At the last moment, Laura Lee’s lawyer cuts a deal with the Crown—she pleads guilty to accessory after the fact in exchange for testifying against Gordon.
  • Laura Lee now alleges that on the night of the murder, Gordon called her to say:
    • “Guess what? I just shot your husband. Oh my God, all that blood.” ([45:30])
• She claims her recollection of this call was “buried” until revived by a sodium amytal (“truth serum”) session with her lawyer ([46:20]).
• Greenspan (Gordon’s lawyer) is incensed but makes a shrewd legal challenge: If Gordon isn’t convicted, Laura Lee can’t be accessory after the fact. He also works to suppress the most damning circumstantial evidence against Gordon ([50:50]).
• The trial’s drama and public interest grow; courtrooms are packed, with the case described as “a cross between a Charles Dickens novel and The Edge of Night, a popular TV soap at the time.” ([53:20])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the crime scene:
  “Deciding it was an accident was not the last mistake police would make in this case. It wouldn't even be the worst one.” — Kristi Lee ([06:40])

• On Laura Lee’s suspicious phone call:
  “Laura Lee told [her brother-in-law] that Bruce had been shot dead. It was an odd statement to make, since the police hadn’t yet told her that her husband had been shot.” ([07:50])

• Wiretap drama:

  "Are you getting a lot of heat?"
  "Oh yeah."
  "Pretty severe?"
  "No."
  "Is anyone concerned?"
  "No. ... I can't say very much."  
  

  — Reenacted calls between Laura Lee and Gordon ([24:46])

• On the gas receipt evidence:
  “At the very least, it proved he had lied about his whereabouts that day. And perhaps that was more telling than anything.” ([29:00])

• On Laura Lee’s sudden “recovered memory”:
  “She claimed that from the instant she heard Gordon say this, she blanked it out. … According to Laura Lee, it was only before the commencement of her trial that a recollection of those words was revived.” ([45:30])

• Greenspan’s reaction:
  “I could have cheerfully punched her lawyer Clay Powell in the nose.” — Edward Greenspan, recalling his frustration at the plea deal ([47:10])

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:26 | Main story opens: Discovery of Bruce Lorenz at Warden Station | | 06:48 | Morgue attendant discovers gunshot wound—murder, not accident | | 10:00 | Laura Lee and Gordon Allen’s affair, history and failed business | | 19:33 | The day of the murder: Bruce’s last day, subway sighting, denial of partnership | | 24:46 | Wiretapped calls between Laura Lee and Gordon Allen | | 26:40 | Forensic details: Gun, autopsy, missing weapon | | 29:00 | Gas station receipt places Gordon Allen in Toronto | | 30:35 | Laura Lee asks about new will post-murder ("He hadn't signed it yet") | | 32:50 | Police present fake affidavit to Gordon Allen | | 34:40 | Arrests, courtroom/mass media circus | | 37:50 | Gordon’s shifting story; failed alibi; perjury charges | | 42:38 | Laura Lee’s plea deal: testifies against Gordon, recovered memory | | 45:30 | Alleged confession phone call: "I just shot your husband. Oh my God, all that blood."| | 53:20 | The “theatre” of the trial: public fascination | | 56:09 | The trial cliffhanger leads into Part 2 |

Tone and Approach

• Tone: Immersive, suspenseful, fact-driven, and empathetic to the trauma at the heart of the story.
• Style: Kristi Lee maintains an even, measured narration, weaving narrative clarity with investigative detail and legal strategy, always attuned to the emotional fallout for all parties involved.

Conclusion & Next Episode Preview

The episode ends on the eve of the trial, with Laura Lee Lorenz poised to testify against Gordon Allen, her former lover, having secured a lenient plea for herself. The focus is now set for courtroom fireworks, further cross-examination, and whether Edward Greenspan can dismantle the Crown’s case based on Laura Lee’s sudden, “recovered” memory and shaky evidence.

“Did Edward Greenspan manage to locate that woman? And if so, would she corroborate his story? That’s where we’ll leave it for Part One.” — Kristi Lee ([56:00])

For Further Exploration

• Photos and historical clippings: Viewable on Canadian True Crime’s Facebook and Instagram.
• Sources: Lisa Gabriel (research/writing), Edward Greenspan’s The Case for the Defence, Toronto Star archives.

Next Episode: The trial continues, with Laura Lee’s testimony, Greenspan’s cross-examination, and the ultimate fate of Gordon Allen and Laura Lee Lorenz.

(Summary prepared as a comprehensive standalone recap; no sponsors or ad reads included.)