The Saskatun police said that they decided that, in their opinion, it is the oldest Cold case In Canada using genetic genealogy.
After decades of the investigation, the police said that on Monday, officers now know who was stuffed into the trunk at the bottom of the sealed, more than a century ago.
In June 2006, construction brigades dug up a plot near Central Avenue and 108th Street, when they discovered the old well-preserved female remains.
According to the police on Monday, these remains belong to Alice Spence (nee Berk), who immigrated to Saserland, Sask., From Saint -Luis, Minnesota, in 1913.
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The 1916 census is the last record investigators, finding that Spence is alive. At that time, she lived with her husband, Charles and their daughter.
Fire in 1918 destroyed the house of the family, and in subsequent information was listed by Charles, living with his daughter, the housekeeper and her son in 1921, but without a trace of Spence.
“Investigators believe that the dishonest game has occurred, which led to the death of Alice, where between 1916 and the fire in 1918. Thanks to the development of family trees, the descendants of Alice were found, ”the police said.
“Most of them did not know about her and her tragic death.”
The police said that several institutions were involved, including the Department of Archeology at the University of Saskachevan, the Coroner Saskachevan service, the Western Development Museum, the Archive of the city of Saskatun and the infrastructure of the city of Saskatun.
He added a “critical break” when members of the group of investigative genetic genealogy of the Toronto police helped in the study of genetic relatives and the development of family trees.
“This study is evidence of the definition and innovation of investigators over all these years,” said Chief Cameron McBride.
“Like a constable that helped immediately after Alice's remains were discovered, this is a particularly satisfactory result.”
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