In a breakthrough for cold case investigations, Toronto Police have identified a man 34 years after his body was discovered in the city's inner harbour. The identification was made possible through advanced genetic testing and public databases, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery.
Decades-Old Discovery
On July 27, 1992, police responded to a call about a body found in Lake Ontario. At the time, investigators and the coroner determined the death was not suspicious, but efforts to identify the individual through regular procedures proved unsuccessful for over three decades.
Genetic Genealogy Breakthrough
Last year, this historical case was selected for resolution using investigative genetic genealogy. On January 8, a DNA profile of the unidentified man was obtained and uploaded to public-facing databases. Within less than five days, investigators linked the profile to a man named Kevin, originally from Saskatchewan.
With assistance from the RCMP, relatives were located in Western Canada, and a DNA sample from a close family member confirmed the match on March 9. Police stated, "His family was notified of the identification and provided with the details of his burial location."
Family Closure and Project 31
Kevin had not been reported missing, but his loved ones had long feared his fate after losing contact with him years earlier. This case marks the tenth identification under Toronto Police's humanitarian initiative, Project 31, which began in the summer of 2022. The project aims to identify all 31 open cases involving historic unidentified deceased individuals with available DNA material.
Police emphasized that solving this case was facilitated by a grant from the province's Ministry of the Solicitor General, with support from the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, Othram, and the Centre of Forensic Sciences. The goal is to continue using DNA-based techniques, including investigative genetic genealogy, to bring answers to more families.
