In a landmark year for forensic science, advances in DNA analysis technology were directly responsible for solving a series of cold cases across Canada in 2025. These scientific breakthroughs provided law enforcement with new tools to revisit evidence from old, unsolved crimes, bringing long-awaited resolutions to families and communities.
A Montreal Murder Solved After 17 Years
One of the most significant cases cracked this year was the 2008 murder of Catherine Daviau in Montreal. On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, senior officials from the Montreal Police Service and the provincial crime lab held a news conference to announce the resolution. The announcement was made by Montreal Police Commander Francois Sauve, Commander Melanie Dupont, and Suzanne Marchand, the senior executive director of the provincial crime laboratory.
The case, which had remained open for nearly two decades, was finally closed thanks to new techniques in genetic genealogy and trace DNA analysis. These methods allow scientists to extract and profile DNA from minute or degraded biological samples that were previously unusable, creating investigative leads where none existed before.
The Science Behind the Breakthroughs
The pivotal advancements are not attributed to a single tool but to a suite of evolving technologies. Key among them is forensic genetic genealogy, which cross-references crime scene DNA with public genetic databases to identify potential relatives of an unknown suspect. This technique has moved from a novel concept to a standard investigative procedure in cold case units.
Furthermore, improvements in low-copy-number DNA analysis enable labs to generate profiles from just a few skin cells. This is crucial for cold cases where physical evidence is limited or has deteriorated over time. The cumulative effect of these technologies has been to re-examine evidence kits and items from old cases with a fresh, more powerful scientific lens.
Implications for Justice and Future Investigations
The successful resolutions in 2025 serve as a powerful testament to the persistence of law enforcement and the evolving promise of forensic science. Every solved cold case delivers justice to victims' families and enhances public safety by potentially identifying serial offenders.
These successes are also prompting police forces across Canada to systematically review their cold case files, prioritizing those where biological evidence was preserved but not previously analyzable. The message from 2025 is clear: cases once considered too cold to solve are now within reach, changing the landscape of criminal investigation and offering new hope for resolution no matter how much time has passed.
