DNA Testing Aids Peterborough Police Identify Human Remains Found In Otonabee River From 1988 Cold Case
/After the result of advanced DNA testing technology, the Peterborough Police Service identified human remains in the Otonabee River to be Gerald Durocher from 1988, announced on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.
According to the Police, Durocher was born in November 1949, and, at the time of his death, would have been 38 years old.
On July 10, 1988, recreational divers located a human skull in the Otonabee River, near Lock and McKeller Street, approximately 130 feet from the shore. When it was found, a postmortem examination was conducted, which revealed it belonged to a male and that he was the victim of homicide. Extensive air and underwater searches were conducted; however, the remainder of the body has never been recovered.
In October 2021, the Peterborough Police Service submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, in hopes that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help generate new leads and assist with identifying the ‘Otonabee River Man’.
Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile, which was then used by Othram’s genealogy team in conjunction with forensic genetic genealogy to identify potential relatives. The Peterborough Police Service then used this information to locate and interview these individuals. This process, as well as subsequent confirmatory DNA testing by the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, led to the positive identification of the victim.
Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Police Service.
