A woman who disappeared into the North Saskatchewan River more than two decades ago has been identified, thanks to DNA sequencing and the efforts of Project Match.The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) announced that remains found near a northeast Edmonton golf course in September 2023 belonged to Erum Kamal, 24, who vanished on August 28, 2001. Her death has been confirmed as non-criminal.“Our hearts go out to Erum’s family, who have experienced decades of ambiguous loss, grief and trauma, and we hope this conclusion can bring them some measure of healing,” said Acting Staff Sgt. Kevin Harrison with the EPS Historical Crimes Section.The case began when partially unearthed remains were discovered near 153 Ave. and 17 St. Initial findings suggested the remains were female and had likely been displaced by natural flooding and erosion, not deliberate burial. After DNA submitted to the National DNA Data Bank yielded no results, investigators turned to genetic genealogy, funded by the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women.Using genealogical data and ethnic profiling, police narrowed their search to a 2001 missing person case involving Kamal. Detectives traced her family to Ontario and secured voluntary DNA samples, which confirmed the identity in November 2024.“This investigation involved not only investigative genetic genealogy, but a significant amount of detective work to bring to a close,” said Harrison. “It is an excellent example of why Project Match is such an important partnership between police, RCMP and the OCME.”Project Match, launched in August 2023, is a collaborative effort between the EPS Missing Persons Unit, the Alberta RCMP, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to solve cases involving unidentified human remains. Earlier this year, the initiative identified two individuals — Louise Laderoute and Irene Jacknife — whose remains were found in the 1970s.Currently, the EPS Missing Persons Unit is investigating 14 unsolved unidentified human remains cases dating back to 1979. Project Match will continue its work with support from the RCMP National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
A woman who disappeared into the North Saskatchewan River more than two decades ago has been identified, thanks to DNA sequencing and the efforts of Project Match.The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) announced that remains found near a northeast Edmonton golf course in September 2023 belonged to Erum Kamal, 24, who vanished on August 28, 2001. Her death has been confirmed as non-criminal.“Our hearts go out to Erum’s family, who have experienced decades of ambiguous loss, grief and trauma, and we hope this conclusion can bring them some measure of healing,” said Acting Staff Sgt. Kevin Harrison with the EPS Historical Crimes Section.The case began when partially unearthed remains were discovered near 153 Ave. and 17 St. Initial findings suggested the remains were female and had likely been displaced by natural flooding and erosion, not deliberate burial. After DNA submitted to the National DNA Data Bank yielded no results, investigators turned to genetic genealogy, funded by the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women.Using genealogical data and ethnic profiling, police narrowed their search to a 2001 missing person case involving Kamal. Detectives traced her family to Ontario and secured voluntary DNA samples, which confirmed the identity in November 2024.“This investigation involved not only investigative genetic genealogy, but a significant amount of detective work to bring to a close,” said Harrison. “It is an excellent example of why Project Match is such an important partnership between police, RCMP and the OCME.”Project Match, launched in August 2023, is a collaborative effort between the EPS Missing Persons Unit, the Alberta RCMP, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to solve cases involving unidentified human remains. Earlier this year, the initiative identified two individuals — Louise Laderoute and Irene Jacknife — whose remains were found in the 1970s.Currently, the EPS Missing Persons Unit is investigating 14 unsolved unidentified human remains cases dating back to 1979. Project Match will continue its work with support from the RCMP National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
