Wayne Greavette was a 42-year man who worked in the beverage packing industry. At 17, he married Diane, and together they had two children, Justin and Danielle. Wayne lived with his family in Moffat, Ontario. He and Diane purchased a farm near Moffat with plans to start a spring water bottling business, utilizing an artesian well located on the farm’s land. However, this plan was cut short by Wayne’s untimely d*ath.
On the night of Thursday, December 12, 1996, Wayne’s son Justin checked the family’s letterbox and found some letters and a package addressed to his father. Assuming it might be an early Christmas present, Justin gave the package to Wayne. Upon opening it, Wayne discovered a letter and a flashlight wrapped in newspaper flyers. The letter contained names of people Wayne knew and a fake business proposal with a return address.
As Wayne read the letter, Justin attempted to turn on the flashlight, but it didn’t work. He then handed it to his father. When Wayne turned on the flashlight, it exploded. Wayne died instantly, while his wife and son sustained minor injuries. In the aftermath, Justin called 911 and informed the operator, “There’s a bomb, and my dad just blew up!”
This case yielded three pieces of evidence: a letter, a package box, and a flashlight bomb. The package was wrapped in white packing paper with a hunter green inner lining, tied with a white ribbon. The flashlight was found inside a Cabernet red wine box, with a rectangular section cut out from the lid’s side, presumably to prevent police tracing the box back to the suspect. The flashlight itself was wrapped in newspaper from remote areas of Southern Ontario, including a locally sourced Castle Building Centre flyer from Copeland Lumber at 700 Main Street in Milton.
Despite no DNA being found on the package or postage, two hairs lacking roots were discovered inside the packing tape. These hairs underwent mitochondrial DNA testing with FBI assistance, but did not lead to the identification of the suspect.
The package also contained a letter posing as a business proposal, listing names of two individuals known to Wayne: Lisa and Joe, who worked with him at S.E.R.G.E. Beverage Equipment. Joe Zottich was a delivery man, and Lisa Ervin was the secretary. Lisa’s name was misspelled as “lisa” in the letter. At the end of the letter was a chilling line: “Have a Merry Christmas, and may you never have to buy another flashlight.” The letter was typed on a Smith-Corona typewriter, using the “Script 10/12” font typically found in school newsletters or soccer schedules.
The parcel contained a gray plastic Duracell Floating Lantern flashlight, 23 centimeters long and 15 centimeters high, filled with an explosive emulsion known as “Superfrac” used in rock fracturing, along with roofing nails. The police identified the flashlight as a lethal Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The original flashlight was destroyed in the explosion.
Wayne’s case remains unsolved, but police continue their investigation, while Wayne’s family explores different possible motives and persons of interest, including Wayne’s business rivals, associates from the beverage and packaging industry, and a woman with whom Wayne had a relationship.