Investigative genetic genealogy has led to the arrest of an Alberta man for the murder of Pauline Brazeau, which occurred 47 years earlier.

This 16-year-old Métis girl from Saskatchewan moved to Calgary with her baby in the fall of 1975. She was last seen leaving a restaurant in Calgary early in the morning in January 1976.

His body was found a few hours later in the west of the city.

Pauline Brazeau’s death was ruled a homicide. It follows the trail of numerous murders that occurred in the Calgary area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Unsolved investigation

In 1995, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had set up a task force to re-investigate unsolved murders, including the murder of Pauline Brazeau. Calgary Police Commissioner Ryan Ayliffe confirms police want to ensure they have exhausted all possible investigative avenues to solve unsolved cases.

In 2021, his case was reopened for a second time. Thanks to the technology ofDNAThere RCMP from Alberta used a tool called investigative genetic genealogy to identify new leads.

The work of Calgary police officers, in collaboration with genealogists, led to the arrest of Ronald James Edward, a 73-year-old man.

It’s never too late for new information, especially with advances in technology

Based on the evidence collected, investigators have no reason to believe that Pauline Brazeau’s murder is related to other murders that occurred at the same time, according to Commissioner David Hall of the Calgary Police Service.

With information from The Canadian Press