In a breakthrough effort utilizing DNA technology, Project Match has successfully identified the remains of two Alberta indigenous women who were found deceased in Edmonton in the 1970s, providing closure to their families after nearly five decades of uncertainty.The first case dated back to July 30, 1975, when an unidentified female was discovered deceased in the North Saskatchewan River. Despite extensive efforts at the time, including autopsies that determined the cause of death as drowning, the woman's identity remained a mystery, and she was laid to rest in an Edmonton cemetery. Similarly, on June 11, 1976, another unidentified woman was found deceased outside an Edmonton address. Despite autopsy results attributing her death to medical causes, her identity remained elusive and she too was buried in an Edmonton cemetery.In August 2023, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Missing Persons Unit, in collaboration with the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, launched Project Match. This initiative aimed to review historical unidentified human remains investigations, with the first focus on these two cases. The project received crucial support from the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) and the City of Edmonton’s Indigenous Relations Office.Due to the absence of DNA samples from the 1970s, the only viable option for DNA testing was to exhume the remains. Under the guidance of Elders who performed sacred ceremonies, the bodies were exhumed from their resting places in two Edmonton cemeteries in September and October 2023. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an external forensic anthropologist meticulously reviewed the initial autopsy reports, reexamined the remains, and collected DNA samples for analysis.The results of the DNA analysis brought long-awaited answers. The woman found in 1975 was identified as Louise Laderoute, a member of the Papaschase First Nation who went missing from Edmonton at the age of 24. .The woman discovered in 1976 was identified as Irene Jacknife, reported missing from Drayton Valley at the age of 30..Both identifications were made through DNA matches with familial samples submitted to the RCMP National DNA Data Bank.Det. Kevin Harrison of the EPS Historical Crimes Unit emphasized the significance of utilizing modern technology and investigative techniques to bring closure to grieving families.Insp. Breanne Brown of the RCMP Historical Homicide and Missing Persons Units expressed condolences to the families and reaffirmed the commitment to ongoing efforts to solve historical cases.The EPS Missing Persons Unit currently has 20 unsolved unidentified human remains files dating back to 1979 and Project Match will continue its review with the support of key partners.
In a breakthrough effort utilizing DNA technology, Project Match has successfully identified the remains of two Alberta indigenous women who were found deceased in Edmonton in the 1970s, providing closure to their families after nearly five decades of uncertainty.The first case dated back to July 30, 1975, when an unidentified female was discovered deceased in the North Saskatchewan River. Despite extensive efforts at the time, including autopsies that determined the cause of death as drowning, the woman's identity remained a mystery, and she was laid to rest in an Edmonton cemetery. Similarly, on June 11, 1976, another unidentified woman was found deceased outside an Edmonton address. Despite autopsy results attributing her death to medical causes, her identity remained elusive and she too was buried in an Edmonton cemetery.In August 2023, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Missing Persons Unit, in collaboration with the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, launched Project Match. This initiative aimed to review historical unidentified human remains investigations, with the first focus on these two cases. The project received crucial support from the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) and the City of Edmonton’s Indigenous Relations Office.Due to the absence of DNA samples from the 1970s, the only viable option for DNA testing was to exhume the remains. Under the guidance of Elders who performed sacred ceremonies, the bodies were exhumed from their resting places in two Edmonton cemeteries in September and October 2023. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an external forensic anthropologist meticulously reviewed the initial autopsy reports, reexamined the remains, and collected DNA samples for analysis.The results of the DNA analysis brought long-awaited answers. The woman found in 1975 was identified as Louise Laderoute, a member of the Papaschase First Nation who went missing from Edmonton at the age of 24. .The woman discovered in 1976 was identified as Irene Jacknife, reported missing from Drayton Valley at the age of 30..Both identifications were made through DNA matches with familial samples submitted to the RCMP National DNA Data Bank.Det. Kevin Harrison of the EPS Historical Crimes Unit emphasized the significance of utilizing modern technology and investigative techniques to bring closure to grieving families.Insp. Breanne Brown of the RCMP Historical Homicide and Missing Persons Units expressed condolences to the families and reaffirmed the commitment to ongoing efforts to solve historical cases.The EPS Missing Persons Unit currently has 20 unsolved unidentified human remains files dating back to 1979 and Project Match will continue its review with the support of key partners.
