More suspects sought as Toronto police make arrest in 2006 homicide
Toronto police have arrested 43-year-old Pierre O’Connor in connection with the 2006 murder of Patrick Santos. Investigators used genetic genealogy to identify the suspect after DNA evidence from the scene remained unmatched for nearly two decades.
Why it matters
The successful use of genetic genealogy in cold cases demonstrates the evolving power of forensic technology in solving long-unresolved crimes.
Toronto police have made an arrest in a nearly two-decade-old homicide, and believe more suspects are outstanding.
Investigators utilized genetic genealogy to generate leads into the Sept. 17, 2006, homicide of Patrick Santos, Det. Sgt. Stephen Smith told reporters Thursday.
Santos, 21, was found dead in the backyard of his father’s home on Bridlington Street in Scarborough. He was bound at the wrists and ankles, beaten and suffocated.
Santos was at a downtown nightclub with friends the night before and the last communication he had before his death was with his girlfriend at 4:30 a.m.
Smith told reporters DNA collected at the scene never led to match in the national DNA databank. In 2020, investigators submitted the DNA profile of a suspected offender for analysis. While it did not lead to a suspect, the information from the process helped officers identify a person of interest last year.
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