Mississauga, Ont., home explosion was a double suicide, investigators say

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – A house explosion that left two people dead and forced the evacuation of 69 homes west of Toronto last summer has been ruled a double suicide.

The bodies of Robert Nadler and Dianne Page, both 55, were found following the blast that levelled the Mississauga, Ont., home and rained debris on the neighbourhood.

Investigators say natural gas lines to the water heater had been disconnected, causing gas to build up in the home prior to the “intentional” explosion on June 28.

Police say they were unable to determine what ignited the gas, but say both of the victims were alive at the time of the explosion and died of blunt force trauma consistent with the blast.

The investigators say they have not found a motive for the double suicide, but haven’t ruled out all of the other possible scenarios.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie says 33 families are still displaced because their homes had to be demolished due to damage from the explosion.

The investigators say they believe notes found in the debris were written by Page, but handwriting analysis was inconclusive.

And they say Nadler had been involved in a dispute with his brother over the estate of the house, but they don’t know if it had anything to do with the explosion.

Police say a witness told them Nadler had said the couple were suffering from cancer and didn’t have long to live, but investigators found no history of cancer.