The Curious Case of Tootsie LaFleche is a tale of deception, brutality, and an unsettling mystery that gripped the city of Regina in the mid-1950s. What began as confusion over a missed holiday gathering unraveled into a gruesome discovery that shocked the community and left investigators baffled for years.
Michael "Mike" Todor was a well-known and respected member of Regina’s Romanian Orthodox community. A 74-year-old retiree, he had invited friends and neighbors to his home for Orthodox Christmas in January 1954. However, when guests arrived at his modest house, they were met not by Todor, but by Tootsie LaFleche—his 36-year-old housekeeper and common-law wife. Tootsie seemed confused by the visitors' arrival, claiming Todor was out of town and hadn't mentioned any holiday plans.
The guests left the residence with a sense of unease, and over the following months, more troubling details emerged. Todor, who was known for his consistency and reliability, stopped attending church services. Neighbors reported a foul smell coming from the house. The police were called to investigate but, after a brief search, found nothing unusual and left the property undisturbed.
Months passed, and the odor grew worse. On April 15, 1955, neighbors once again contacted authorities, urging them to break into the residence. When officers entered the abandoned house, they discovered the source of the stench: behind a padlocked bedroom door lay the mummified remains of Michael Todor. His body was still on the bed, partially covered in blankets, with one arm raised as though warding off an attacker. His skull had been crushed by repeated blows from a blunt object. The floorboards were soaked with dried blood, and the walls were stained from the violent struggle.
Police quickly arrested Tootsie LaFleche and Jacob Dyck, a 45-year-old boarder with a reputation for violent behavior. During interrogation, LaFleche gave conflicting statements about what had transpired. Eventually, she confessed that Dyck had killed Todor after a heated argument about money. According to Tootsie, Todor had stormed off to the bedroom after accusing Dyck of owing him a substantial sum. Dyck followed Todor and began beating him with a heavy object. Tootsie claimed she heard Todor repeatedly ask, "Why?" as Dyck continued the assault.
When Tootsie entered the room, she said Todor was dead—his head bashed in, half his body hanging off the bed. Dyck, covered in blood, allegedly turned to her and said, "Keep quiet, or you're next." Terrified, Tootsie followed Dyck’s instructions to padlock the bedroom door and stuff rags underneath it to contain the smell. They sprayed insecticide to kill the swarms of flies and continued living in the house for months as Todor’s body decomposed just feet away.
The subsequent trial was a legal circus. Tootsie’s testimony changed repeatedly, often contradicting itself. She went from claiming Dyck killed Todor to saying she had no idea what happened. Dyck, meanwhile, maintained his innocence throughout. After four mistrials, the charges against Dyck were dropped due to lack of evidence. Tootsie was convicted of being an accessory to murder and served time in prison before being released. Shortly after her release, she was killed in a car accident under mysterious circumstances.
The case of Michael Todor’s murder remains officially unsolved. Was Tootsie telling the truth about Dyck's involvement, or did she commit the murder herself? Why did the police miss the body during their initial search? And what truly happened in that small Regina home during Orthodox Christmas in 1954?
Join us as we investigate the bizarre and unsettling Curious Case of Tootsie LaFleche in our latest Patreon-exclusive episode of Unsolved Canadian Mysteries, available now on Spotify and YouTube.