Toronto police used genetic genealogy to solve the 1998 murder of Donna Oglive, arresting Ronald Gordon Ackerman.
Detective Sergeant Steve Smith shared this news Friday. Someone found Oglive dead on March 8, 1998, in a parking lot near Jarvis Street. A resident discovered her.
Smith said it seemed like a sex trade deal went wrong that resulted in Oglive’s death via strangulation. She was also pregnant, with another child already.
Police reported that Oglive came from British Columbia and stayed in Toronto for five weeks before her death.
Officers arrested Ronald Gordon Ackerman, age 50, on Wednesday at Toronto’s airport. Ackerman arrived from Edmonton by plane and is charged with first-degree murder.
Smith believes Ackerman was a client that night, but wasn’t sure if they had met before. The Carlton Street area had a parking lot then, and Smith mentioned sex workers were often there.
Investigative genetic genealogy helped them, with Othram Inc. assisting in this process. They found the offender’s family via DNA, and a male DNA profile existed from the scene. But no match was ever found before.
IGG is a forensic technique that helps when other leads fail by finding relatives of the DNA source. Investigators then target a suspect.
Smith called it a “game-changer” and stated, “This science lets us view DNA differently.” He believes it can solve nearly any case.
Ackerman worked in Alberta’s oil fields, working two weeks, then flying east for two.
Smith said these old cases last so long, as they have over 800 past homicides and solving them is a great feeling. They can notify the family, and it means these people face justice.
