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Toronto police have announced a significant breakthrough in a cold case dating back to 1998, resulting in the arrest of a suspect linked to the death of Donna Oglive, a 24-year-old woman who was involved in sex work. This development was made possible through advancements in genetic genealogy.
Detective Sergeant Steve Smith shared details during a press conference on Friday regarding the investigation into Oglive’s homicide. Her body was discovered on March 8, 1998, in a parking lot at 130 Carlton St., close to Jarvis Street, after a resident alerted authorities.
Smith indicated that Oglive likely died as a result of a transaction linked to her work in the sex trade. The investigation revealed she had been strangled and was pregnant at the time of her death; she was also the mother of another child. Oglive had moved to Toronto from British Columbia and had been in the city for about five weeks before her tragic demise.
Latest Developments in the Case
On Wednesday, authorities apprehended Ronald Gordon Ackerman, a 50-year-old man from Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Ackerman was intercepted as he arrived on a flight from Edmonton.
He faces charges of first-degree murder. Smith believes that Ackerman was a client of Oglive’s on the night she died, although it remains unclear if this was a one-time occurrence.
The location where Oglive was found, 130 Carlton St., has a history of high sexual activity linked to sex trade workers, as indicated by Smith.
The breakthrough in the case was attributed to investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), a forensic technique employed by law enforcement agencies when conventional leads have been exhausted. Partnering with Othram Inc., investigators used DNA evidence collected from the crime scene to create a male DNA profile. However, they were unable to identify a match until now.
Smith remarked on the transformative impact of IGG, stating, “It’s really a game-changer for us. This change in science has really allowed us to look at DNA in a different way, if we have offender DNA, to solve virtually any case that’s out there.”
Ackerman’s lifestyle included long periods of work in the oil fields of northern Alberta followed by returns to the East Coast, complicating investigations in historical cases like this one. Smith highlighted the importance of resolving such long-standing cases, noting, “When you’re able to solve these cases, it’s a great feeling. You’re able to notify the family.”
With over 800 unsolved historical homicides in Toronto, advancements in forensic science offer renewed hope for justice in these cold cases.
Source
globalnews.ca