BEHIND THE CRIMES: Who mailed the bomb that killed Wayne Greavette?

Mere seconds. That’s all the time it took for a bomb to detonate in the hands of Wayne Greavette as he sat in the living room of his home, killing him in the presence of his family.

It came in the form of a flashlight-turned homemade explosive device, mailed under the guise of a present, with a letter tucked inside that ominously signed off with, “Have a Merry Christmas and may you never have to buy another flashlight.”

The horrific moment when the father of two innocently pressed the on switch was over in the blink of an eye. But it changed the Greavette family forever.

Almost a quarter century has passed since that day, Dec. 12, 1996.

But police aren’t giving up hope that the case will ultimately be solved.

A $50,000 reward is still being offered by the provincial government, through the OPP, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) who took Greavette’s life.

“It is our goal to solve all unsolved crimes,” said Detective Insp. Randy Gaynor of the OPP criminal investigation branch. “We follow up on all information that becomes available.”

It was a chilly Thursday in December when the package arrived at the farm the Greavettes had recently purchased on Concession 11, between 15 and 17 sideroads, in the rural Milton area.

The land held much promise for Wayne and Diane, who had hoped to harness the artesian well on the property to launch a spring water bottling business.

His son Justin, who was 21 at the time, went out to get the mail that day, bringing in a package for his father delivered by Canada Post that appeared to be a present in white wrapping paper. Inside the box — an emptied cardboard wine container with the UPC cut off — was a Duracell flashlight and a letter written on a typewriter with a unique key flaw that inserted a back slash after each period.

As Wayne read the letter that detailed a business proposal from what turned out to be a phoney company, Justin tried to turn the flashlight on, but nothing happened.

When his 42-year-old father pushed the button, the bomb went off — a device filled with an emulsion-type explosive and nails that acted as shrapnel, according to the OPP.

Wayne was killed instantly in front of his son, brother and wife, Diane. Daughter Danielle wasn’t home at the time.

While decades have passed since that fateful day, the family has maintained the same mantra throughout the years — “somebody knows something.”

But who?

Gaynor couldn’t comment on possible motives or persons of interest in the case as it’s considered potential evidence, but the family did some investigative work of their own alongside CBC documentarian David Ridgen for his 2009 piece, “The Bomb That Killed Wayne Greavette.”

In the documentary, they considered many possible options: that perhaps someone was jealous of his impending spring water business, or it was a person he knew through the beverage and packaging industry, or a woman Wayne may have had a relationship with.

The packaging that came with the flashlight contained some local connections. Flyers were used to cushion the device, with at least one being sourced locally as it was for a Milton store — Copeland Lumber, which later became Rona on Main Street near Wilson Drive.

Wayne had worked in Milton for many years, leading his family to believe at the time that someone from that area may have information that could help solve the case.

Then there’s the potential ties to Halton Hills. A month before the murder, two men are said to have visited the Acton post office asking for Wayne’s current address.

The package was labelled with an Acton return address that doesn’t exist.

Gaynor couldn’t say if the documentary, Ridgen’s later podcasts or the $50,000 reward have resulted in fresh tips for the police, citing confidentiality of the investigation.

But one thing is for certain — the case will remain on the OPP’s radar for as long as it takes.

“We never close a case,” said Gaynor. “Information that someone has about the murder may be the piece we need to put it all together.”