On the night of March 18, 1959, 34-year-old Robert McKay was driving his Taxi. He was working for Edmonton's Yellow Taxi on and off for several years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. At 8:25 p.m. he radioed his dispatcher from the Canadian National Railways station. This was the last time he was heard from.
At 10:30 p.m. George Bates was returning home to 130th St. in the Laurier Park area when he spotted a Yellow cab parked in the middle of a dead-end st. on the corner of 85th Ave. and 131st St. He went to check on the can and inside Robert was unconscious and slumped over the steering wheel.
When police and ambulance arrived and were removing him from the cab he weakly struggled and mumbled, "What are you guys trying to take me for now?". He would be rushed to the hospital and was operated on, but never regained consciousness and would die.
Robert had been beaten and suffered a compound fracture of the skull, and other head injuries resulting in severe brain damage. His taxi windows were broken and there was blood on one of the doors, but there was no sign of struggle near the taxi.
A local resident would find a hammer with blood and hair on it, a pair of rubber boots, and Robert's cap several blocks away. The items were set beside each other on the road with a nickel and dime on the grown a few feet away.
Snow would soon hide any evidence of a struggle and they barricaded the area hoping the snow would melt and reveal evidence. An inconsiderate motorist would remove part of the barricade and would drive up the lane destroying any evidence that may have been there.
He had not been robbed his recorded fare money was still in his pocket, and he only had a few cents when he left for work. His glove compartment seemed to have been gone through, so a robbery may have still been the motive. The killer may have been scared off and didn't get the chance to go through Robert's pockets.
The cab company told police that if Robert was going to pick up a fare and be asked to go to an isolated area like he was found that he would have likely called their dispatch and tell them because robberies often happen in isolated areas.
SOURCES:
Edmonton Journal March 19, 1959
Edmonton Journal March 23, 1959
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