Police have identified a man whose body was found in the Ottawa River in Wendover in 2017.
On April 18, 2017, members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Hawkesbury Detachment responded when a man’s body was located on the shoreline in Wendover. A postmortem examination at the time confirmed the cause of death to be drowning, but his identity could not be determined.
The OPP, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC), Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) and Ministry of the Attorney General have now begun to utilize advanced DNA testing, known as Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) testing or Forensic Genealogy. Through whole genome sequencing, the samples matched one collected from individuals listed in a family DNA tree. These results were then confirmed by additional family DNA testing by the OCC and OFPS.
The testing has revealed that the body is that of a male, born in 1966. He had been living on the streets of Ottawa prior to his death and had no fixed address.
Investigators and Victim Services have met with the individual’s family to share the news. As the matter did not involve foul play, and out of respect for the family’s privacy, police are not releasing the individual’s name.
In 2017 the OPP had made extensive efforts across Canada to identify the individual. These efforts included sharing available details and images of the man’s clothing with other law enforcement agencies and with the public as part of an appeal for information.
