George Herbert Redfern

1887 - 1930  (43 years)

• Name	George Herbert Redfern
  Born	1887	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Crime	1930	Montreal, Ile De Montreal, Quebec
  	murdered Reta Gordner
  		Gordner,Reta-001-newsarticlewithRedfern1930.JPG
  Interesting	murder/suicide
  Occupation	1930	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	clerk
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-174628
  Died	22 May 1930	London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I174628	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Family	Ida Ewald,   b. 1891, Crediton, Stephen Twp., Huron Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	2 Jul 1912	, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F48232	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  George Herbert Redfern 1930

  
  

• Notes

  ACCUSE DEAD SALESMAN POISONING RITA GARDNER London, On Today - George Redfern, 42 year old salesman, who died of self-administered poison shortly after here arrest here yesterday, was accused today by police of deliberately poisoning Reta Gardner. 24 year old stenographer, with whom he disappeared from Kitchener. Ont., two weeks ago. Redfern, who deserted a wife in Kitchener died in the local jail shortly after his arrest for the murder of the young stenographer whose body was found a week ago Tuesday. Redfern said Detective Sergeant Felix Prysky, chief of the Montreal homicide squad, "deliberately polsoned the girl, not in any suicide-pact, but strictly through jealousy over a young man in Kitchener, a friend of Miss Gardener and a fellow-employee with her in the plant where. she worked." Before he left with her for Montreal. Redfern bought. 20 grains of poison from a Kitchener drug store, so from the start of the trip he planned her murder." Before his death Redfern conferred with Fergus M. Murphy, an Mtortipy [sic], and is believed to have told him the. story of the affair, but the Attorney withhold all information on the ground of professional ethics Lebanon Daily News 23 May 1930 pg 18 _____________________ Man Nabbed, for Murder Drops Dead LONDON, Ont, May 22 (A. P.) - Arrested here today in connection with the death of Rita Gardner from poison in Montreal, George Redfern, 42-year-old salesman of Kitchener, collapsed and died. Redfern, sought throughout Canada and along the border cities of the United States for almost two weeks was arrested when he lacked the money to pay a 90 cent tax bill, a signet ring he wore aroused suspicions of officers. He denied implication in Miss Gardner's death, called for a lawyer and then collapsed. He died a few minutes after his arrest. Miss Gardner and a man who gave the name of A. W. Rowland registered at a Montreal hotel a week ago Sunday. Two days later miss Gardner's body was found in Rowland's room. She had died of poison an autopsy showed. Tracing her movements police learned she had left Kitchener with Redfern, whose description tallied with that of Rowland. Moberly Weekly monitor 22 May 1920 pg 12 _______________________ Redfern's Funeral Held At Kitchener George H. Redfern, 42-year-old salesman of Kitchener, who died in the London police station on Thursday from poison believed to have been self-administered some time after his arrest, was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener, last Saturday. His widow attended the funeral with her 2 ½ year-old daughter. Redfern was arrested last Thursday after a 10-day search in connection with the death of Reta Gordner, of Baden. Ont., in a Montreal Hotel from strychnine poisoning. New Hamburg Independent, May 30, 1930 ___________________

  
  

• Sources

  [S721] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, marriage certificate. George Herbert Redfern Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario Age: 24 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888 Father Name: Robert George Redfern Mother Name: Margaret Ann Howe Spouse Name: Ida A Ewald Spouse's Age: 20 Spouse Birth Year: abt 1892 Spouse Birth Place: Crediton Ont Spouse Father Name: August Ewald Spouse Mother Name: Marie Mienk Marriage Date: 2 Jul 1912 Marriage County or District:York

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1887 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Married - 2 Jul 1912 - , York Co., Ontario, Canada Crime - murdered Reta Gordner - 1930 - Montreal, Ile de Montreal, Quebec Occupation - clerk - 1930 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 22 May 1930 - London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth