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Homicide Detectives Identify Remains of Woman Found During Demolition of Home in Niagara Falls
Investigators used forensic genealogy to identify Brenda Marie LeBlanc after nearly three years, and police say her remains may have been at the property since the 1990s.
On Wednesday, Niagara Regional Police Service identified the remains of Brenda Marie Leblanc, discovered during a home demolition in Niagara Falls, Ontario, nearly three years ago, and reclassified her death as a homicide.
Investigators identified Leblanc last year using investigative genetic genealogy, "an advanced forensic technique that combines DNA analysis with genealogical research," with assistance from the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, and Othram Laboratories in Texas.
A New Brunswick native, Leblanc lived in the Niagara Region during the 1990s, while the property at 7081 Stanley Avenue had been a multi-unit rental residence from the late 1970s until about 2018.
"Her connection to the residence remains unknown," police said Wednesday, though property owners have cooperated with the probe following forensic findings suggesting remains were at the site potentially dating to the mid-1990s.
Detectives are seeking information about Leblanc's associates, whereabouts, and activities during the 1990s; anyone with details can contact the NRPS Homicide Unit Hotline at 248-1058.