Niagara police have located the remains of a man who went missing from the region 29 years ago, following a collaborative investigation with the U.S. authorities.
“Although this young male had been missing for 29 years, the recent investigation sheds light on the importance and needed collaboration between both Canada and US law enforcement agencies to bring much needed closure to families who after all these years still seek answers,” said Detective Constable Sara Mummery, the NRPS missing person and unidentified remains coordinator.
Following the individual’s disappearance in 1994, NRPS initiated an investigation. However, after all investigative avenues had been exhausted, the case remained open, awaiting new information.
In July 2018, new evidence emerged through a standard analysis conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (ONCMPUR) Unit, uncovering potential unidentified remains linked to the missing person. The analysis examined remains recovered on June 17, 1994, in Lake Ontario near Olcott Harbour in New York State. Although a postmortem was conducted at the time of recovery, the remains were not positively identified and were subsequently buried as “John Doe” in a local U.S. cemetery.
In February 2019, a Canadian dentist examined dental records from the remains provided by U.S. investigators. The dentist suggested likely identification but faced uncertainties due to record inconsistencies. By April 2019, ONCMPUR investigators confirmed with U.S. officials that the John Doe file lacked additional details for the investigation, and no DNA was collected during the initial recovery.
In late 2020, the matter was assigned to the NRPS missing person and unidentified remains coordinator, who launched a review of the files on both sides of the border. For comparison purposes, family DNA was sought for entry into Canada’s National Missing Persons DNA Program, which is managed by the RCMP. A forensic dentist noted a strong correlation between the missing male and John Doe through a dental comparison program.
Since 2020, the NRPS coordinator has been in contact with U.S. officials and the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS), according to the NRPS statement. The outstanding investigative step was to exhume the remains, obtain DNA, and conduct a comparison.
The remains buried in the United States prompted the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office to request an exhumation for John Doe’s identification. Authorized by the Chief Coroner for Ontario, the remains were transported back for examination. Judicial approval in the United States was granted in September 2023, leading to exhumation in October 2023. John Doe was brought to Canada, and on Oct. 25, 2023, the OFPS Forensic Anthropology Unit confirmed the remains as belonging to the missing male from Niagara in 1994.
The recovered remains of the individual have been laid to rest in Niagara. His name is not being disclosed as per the request of his family.
