’I think that my father murdered my mother.’
Carol Blackstock: A Tragic Mystery at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
Discovered at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
On a very hot day walking through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, I came across the grave of Carol Blackstock (née Gray)—a young mother of three whose death in 1959, at just 24 years old, was surrounded by mystery and sorrow for decades.
Carol’s story is as heartbreaking as it is chilling. Married to George Blackstock, a career diplomat in Canada’s foreign service, the family lived a life of international prestige, including a posting to the glamorous city of Buenos Aires.
But tragedy struck not long after their arrival. Carol became severely ill, emaciated and wracked with pain, suffering from a strange and unexplained illness. She was eventually transferred to Montreal for treatment, but succumbed to her condition on July 25, 1959.
For years, the cause of her death remained unknown, a dark secret buried beneath the surface. Meanwhile, George Blackstock remarried within a year.
Uncovering the Truth
It wasn’t until many years later, after their father’s death, that Carol’s children began to uncover the horrifying truth. Through interviews in Buenos Aires, Montreal, and beyond, and with the help of an Argentine professional investigator, the family pieced together their mother’s fate.
They found documents their father had hidden away—documents that effectively confessed to slowly poisoning Carol by administering small doses of arsenic over time.
George Blackstock, born into great privilege, died in Toronto on April 16, 2007, at the age of 73. His legacy remains forever tainted by the shadows of his actions.
