John Ivan McCaw, 69, was a native of Griswold, Manitoba and worked for many years at the Bank of Montreal. On his retirement he began driving part-time for Moores (later Unicity) Taxi as "something to keep him busy." He typcally drove three nights a week from about 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. His wife Betty never liked his taxi driving job and worried about him when he went out at night. The couple had three adult sons and four grandchildren. Tall and bespectacled, he was characterized by acquaintances as a man who took no unnecessary risks. "John was a quiet guy, unassuming -- wouldn't harm a flea," said one of them. Betty McCaw died in October, 1979 and for the three months since her death Mr. McCaw had been living alone. At about 2 a.m. on Saturday, January 26 Mr. McCaw picked up his last fare at the St. James Legion on Portage Avenue. No more was heard of him until 7 a.m. when a Department of Highways employee found his body lying on a lonely road on the western outskirts of Winnipeg. He was about 100 yards from his taxi which was stuck in the ditch. Mr. McCaw had been run over by his own car. His wallet was missing although a money clip holding the night's receipts was still on his body. Police surmised that Mr. McCaw had been robbed and then was run down as he tried to flee from his killer. An autopsy had to be postponed for a day because the body was frozen. Mr. McCaw's children did not learn of his death until Sunday evening. About 200 people attended Mr. McCaw's funeral on January 30. About 100 cabs lined the Furby Street outside Thomson's Funeral Chapel. Police quickly arrested a 17-year-old male and charged him with murder. A 20-year-old deaf woman was arrested as a material witness and later released on a $500 bond. Mr. McCaw's death provoked the usual discussion about the need for safety devices in cabs, such as Plexiglas shields, automatic door locks and armoured seat backs.

Royal Canadian Legion, St James Branch No. 4 (Source: Google Street View, October, 2014) Peter Kapusta, manager of Duffy's Taxi and president of the Winnipeg Taxi Cab Association, dismissed the need for such devices. "You can't lock yourself up like a rat in a cage," he said. "We're not New York. This happens once in 25 years." His view was echoed by a driver who declined to be identified. Safety devices "aint gonna work," he said. "It [murder]'s bound to happen. It's the chance you take on this job." Another driver who favoured safety devices expressed a note of cynicism. Once the initial shock wears off, he said, the taxi industry in general "probably won't do anything about it [safety]."