The Mysterious Disappearance and Murder of Dale Worthman and Kimberley Lockyer

Imagine stepping into a small basement apartment in the quiet community of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, Newfoundland. Everything seems… oddly normal, almost frozen in time. Toast sits untouched in the toaster. A fridge full of fresh food hums quietly in the kitchen. Kimberley Lockyer’s purse is left behind with her keys, identification, and several thousand dollars still inside.

Even more suspicious? Dale Worthman’s wallet is found in their parked car in the driveway.

Except Dale and Kimberley never came back. They vanished on August 27, 1993, leaving behind unsettling clues that pointed to a sudden departure—or worse, something they never planned on returning from. For 13 years, their families waited for answers, their case turning into a cold and tragic mystery.

Toast still in the toaster at the victims’ apartment

Then, in 2006, Joey Oliver walked into a police station and dropped a bombshell: he knew where their bodies were buried.

But even after the bodies were found, the mystery only deepened.

Who really killed Dale and Kimberley? Why were they murdered? And how did Joey Oliver—who swears he wasn’t the killer—get off with manslaughter while the person he claims was the real murderer walked away without a charge?

Let’s dig into the case that has left the true crime community obsessed for decades.

The Disappearance: Clues of a Quick Exit

On August 27, 1993, Dale and Kimberley disappeared from their basement apartment in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s without warning. Dale’s parents reported him missing on September 2, when he failed to show up for work. Kimberley, a waitress at the Airport Inn, had never picked up her last paycheck.

When police arrived at their apartment, it was clear the couple had left in a hurry—but not in a way that suggested a planned trip. The untouched toast, food in the fridge, and wallet and purse left behind suggested they hadn’t planned on being gone long.

The police initially pursued theories that they had left the province voluntarily. They called taxi companies, checked with airlines, and searched nearby ponds with cadaver dogs. There were even rumors that the couple had been spotted on a ferry heading out of Newfoundland. Nothing turned up.

The Break in the Case: A Chilling Confession

Thirteen years later, the case moved forward when Joey Oliver confessed to knowing where Dale and Kimberley’s bodies were buried. He led police to a remote area off Thorburn Road in St. John’s, a dense, rugged patch of forest that was difficult to access.

After three days of digging, investigators unearthed two bodies buried in a shallow grave. Forensic evidence showed that Dale and Kimberley had each been shot in the head—execution style.

But Joey’s confession wasn’t what it seemed. He claimed he didn’t pull the trigger. Instead, he blamed another man: Shannon Murrin.

Joey Oliver’s Story: Blame It on Shannon Murrin

In his taped confession, Joey Oliver said Shannon Murrin—a man with a criminal history—was the real killer.

According to Oliver, Murrin told him to bring Dale to a remote site for a "talk". Joey assumed Dale might get roughed up but insisted he never expected it to escalate to murder. He claimed he picked up Dale that day, but Kimberley unexpectedly joined them.