In June of 2014, a call to emergency services requested an ambulance for a young man found unresponsive on the sidewalk. The ambulance and police arrived to find the young man dead, apparently from a drug overdose. There was no attempt to follow up.

On August 28, a woman was walking her dog through the grounds of St. Margaret's Church when she spied a young man propped up against a wall. She spoke to him, asking if he was all right, but he did not respond. She called the police station.

On September 20, the same woman walking her dog found another young man in almost the same spot. She immediately called the police. This man was holding a "suicide note" in which he claimed responsibility for the death of young man found a month earlier.

A fourth body was discovered in the opposite side of the church. As all four of the victims were gay and had apparently died from a drug overdose, the police closed their files and failed to see any connection between the four deaths.

Grindr was an app where gay persons could meet other gay persons to share drugs and sex. Further investigation would have revealed numerous connections between the victims.