CANADA Thera Dieleman,80, Ont,16 September 1988*DNA technology*

[dotr]

DNA from murder scene used to create sketches of cold case suspect
August 28, 2018 12:40PM EDT
"TORONTO -- Ontario Provincial Police have released images of a suspect in a 1988 murder created from DNA recovered from the scene in the hope the sketches will lead to a break in the case.

Police say they worked with a DNA technology company in Virginia to develop the digital images of the man suspected in Thera Dieleman's killing.

The force says 80-year-old Dieleman was found beaten and strangled in her home in Blandford-Blenheim Township, Ont., on Sept. 16, 1988."
The force says 80-year-old Dieleman was found beaten and strangled in her home in Blandford-Blenheim Township, Ont., on Sept. 16, 1988.

Photos

"Police say the widow had put up a fight, potentially causing injuries to her attacker.

They say the suspect is believed to have been driving a flatbed farm truck on the day of the murder."

Police say they hope the new images of the suspect -- one of what he may have looked like in 1988 and another of what he could look like today -- will lead to new information from the public.

They say a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Dieleman's killer remains on offer, even 30 years after the murder took place.

 

[dotr]

Ontario police release sketch of suspect in unsolved, 1988 murder of Thera Dieleman

2018 updated image of suspect.

Photo of suspect vehicle.

Police say they worked with a DNA technology company in Virginia to develop the digital images of the man suspected in Thera Dieleman’s killing.

Thera Dieleman was murdered in 1988.

Image created of suspect in 1988.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Ontario police release sketch of suspect in unsolved, 1988 murder of Thera Dieleman

Thera Dieleman was found beaten and strangled in her Blandford-Blenheim Township home, the afternoon of Sept. 16, 1988. OPP say her last known contact was a phone call around 5 p.m. the evening before, ...
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“Rural mail delivery had already occurred at 10 a.m. that morning. This mail was found within Mrs. Dieleman’s residence, and had been opened,” he explained.
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Shortly after those phone calls, between 11:45 a.m. and 12 p.m., police say witnesses walked by the Dieleman home, where the victim lived alone, and saw a red or brown flatbed farm truck with white lettering, dual rear wheels, and a black headboard protector behind the cab.
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There’s no evidence to suggest Dieleman knew her attacker, or was the subject of a robbery, explained Leppert. He wouldn’t say whether the victim was sexually assaulted.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Ontario police release sketch of suspect in unsolved, 1988 murder of Thera Dieleman

The first photo is what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old, and the second photo is what he might look like now, said Leppert.
“Environmental factors, such as smoking, drinking, diet, and other non-environment factors like facial hair, hair style, scars, cannot be predicted by DNA analysis.”

Leppert is urging people to spend time looking at the photo, in hopes of “igniting memories” that might help police crack the case.

 

[dotr]

OPP to reveal new details about 1988 homicide
``Dieleman had lived in Indonesia, then a Dutch colony, and survived three years in an internment camp after the Japanese invaded the country during the Second World War.

The elderly woman likely resisted and injured her attacker before dying, police have said.``

``Often, the passage of time allows people to become less reluctant to speak and all they need is a bit of a prompt or a nudge to come forward with what they know,” said Mike Arntfield, a former London police detective who’s now a Western University sociology professor and author of a best-selling book on cold-case killings.``

Last seen alive on Sept. 15, 1988, after being dropped off at her home following a day in Goderich, Dieleman didn’t answer the phone when friends tried calling her the next day. Witnesses reported seeing a red, flatbed truck in Dieleman’s driveway on the day her body was found.``

rbbm
Ot Good Canadian book, memoirs concerning that particular time and place, fwiw.
https://www.amazon.ca/Way-Boy-Memoir-Ernest-Hillen/dp/0143168517

 

[dotr]

Wondering if this US guy may have driven trucks into Ontario.
Complete speculation, imo.
Daniel Ray Troyer | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers


Daniel Troyer is suspected of killing four old ladies. The two police have really focused on are Drucilla Ovard, 83, who was murdered in 1985; Ethel Luckau, 88, who was murdered in 1988.


Both victims were elderly and lived alone. There were no obvious signs of break-in, robbery was not a motive and both women were killed in a similar manner: Ovard was strangled, and Luckau was strangled and suffocated.

The 39-year-old defendant is also suspected of murdering two other elderly Salt Lake area women, but prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to bring charges. Thelma Lillian Blodgett, 69, of South Salt Lake, died July 11, 1985 --six days before Ovard was killed. Lucille Westerman, 73, a neighbor of Luckau, died Aug. 23, 1988 -- six days after Luckau was killed.


Also hampering his innocence claim is the fact that he was previously in jail for an attack on an elderly woman that occurred in 1978, when he beat, choked and attempted to rape a 71-year-old quadriplegic woman, who survived.

Monsters Among Us: Daniel Ray Troyer raped and killed Drucilla Ovard and Ethel Luckau

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Wondering if this US guy may have driven trucks into Ontario.
Complete speculation, imo.
Daniel Ray Troyer | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers


Daniel Troyer is suspected of killing four old ladies. The two police have really focused on are Drucilla Ovard, 83, who was murdered in 1985; Ethel Luckau, 88, who was murdered in 1988.


Both victims were elderly and lived alone. There were no obvious signs of break-in, robbery was not a motive and both women were killed in a similar manner: Ovard was strangled, and Luckau was strangled and suffocated.

The 39-year-old defendant is also suspected of murdering two other elderly Salt Lake area women, but prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to bring charges. Thelma Lillian Blodgett, 69, of South Salt Lake, died July 11, 1985 --six days before Ovard was killed. Lucille Westerman, 73, a neighbor of Luckau, died Aug. 23, 1988 -- six days after Luckau was killed.


Also hampering his innocence claim is the fact that he was previously in jail for an attack on an elderly woman that occurred in 1978, when he beat, choked and attempted to rape a 71-year-old quadriplegic woman, who survived.

Monsters Among Us: Daniel Ray Troyer raped and killed Drucilla Ovard and Ethel Luckau

Aliases:
Gerald Selby

 

[CastlesBurning]

The Unsolved Murder of Thera Dieleman

 

[dotr]

The Unsolved Murder of Thera Dieleman

Thanks, from link.. rbbm.
"Thera’s murder is still discussed in Innerkip today. Many residents in the small community knew her and her family well and have hoped for years this cold case can be solved. Thera was a strong, kind, and spunky woman. For example, the rural route she lived on was under construction that often inconvenienced her and her neighbours. Thera was not shy to share her views on the situation with the construction workers and offer suggestions on how they should go about the work differently."

 

[ShaunLindsay]

Well, this is a concerning piece that I found....

Suspect pleads guilty to home invasions in Rockwood
Web posted on October 20, 2005

Walter Laan, a 45 year old man from Oshawa, Ontario, pleaded guilty in a Bracebridge court on Friday, October 14th, 2005, to several charges of home invasion, including one in Rockwood. He received a 13-year sentence in penitentiary for his various crimes.

Laan admitted in court that, on December 30, 2004 he entered a residence on Guelph Street in Rockwood with a gun. He took a quantity of cash and credit cards. He then taped up the 90-year-old female occupant and fled.

The same suspect was later identified as committing home invasion robberies in Muskoka, Durham Region, and Brantford. He was arrested by Huntsville O.P.P. and held 285 days in pretrial detention.

In sentencing Laan to the 13 year sentence, the judge also prohibited him from possessing any weapons for life. He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample for the National Databank.

Laan will serve 11.5 years in jail when pre-trial custody is taken into consideration.

 

[CatchPhrase]

Is this the main thread for Thera?

 

[dotr]

Is this the main thread for Thera?

Welcome to Ws CatchPhrase!
This is the main thread for TD, thanks for popping by.

 

[ShaunLindsay]

Well, this is a concerning piece that I found....

Suspect pleads guilty to home invasions in Rockwood
Web posted on October 20, 2005

Walter Laan, a 45 year old man from Oshawa, Ontario, pleaded guilty in a Bracebridge court on Friday, October 14th, 2005, to several charges of home invasion, including one in Rockwood. He received a 13-year sentence in penitentiary for his various crimes.

Laan admitted in court that, on December 30, 2004 he entered a residence on Guelph Street in Rockwood with a gun. He took a quantity of cash and credit cards. He then taped up the 90-year-old female occupant and fled.

The same suspect was later identified as committing home invasion robberies in Muskoka, Durham Region, and Brantford. He was arrested by Huntsville O.P.P. and held 285 days in pretrial detention.

In sentencing Laan to the 13 year sentence, the judge also prohibited him from possessing any weapons for life. He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample for the National Databank.

Laan will serve 11.5 years in jail when pre-trial custody is taken into consideration.

Upon reading this again, I see that I did not include as much info here as I meant to. The reason I thought this man was a plausible suspect is that in some writings he had lived in Ayr, which is very close to the scene of this crime. He was also potentially the right age to fit the description. Sadly, I have yet to nail down WHEN he lived in Ayr, nor a quality picture of him then or now. If anyone can shed light in those areas, it could be of help.

 

[dotr]

Upon reading this again, I see that I did not include as much info here as I meant to. The reason I thought this man was a plausible suspect is that in some writings he had lived in Ayr, which is very close to the scene of this crime. He was also potentially the right age to fit the description. Sadly, I have yet to nail down WHEN he lived in Ayr, nor a quality picture of him then or now. If anyone can shed light in those areas, it could be of help.

Have not watched it all yet, but maybe a pic in these CBC docs.?
https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2017-2018/murder-in-cottage-country

Cottage Country Murder: Family Linked to Disappearance of Seniors Fights Release of Police Documents | The Walrus

''The Laan family, at brother Paul Laan’s wedding. Kathrine Laan, Walter Laan, David Laan, Paul Laan, and Ron Allen are highlighted here.The Fifth Estate/Lann family blog.''

 

[ShaunLindsay]

Have not watched it all yet, but maybe a pic in these CBC docs.?
https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2017-2018/murder-in-cottage-country

Cottage Country Murder: Family Linked to Disappearance of Seniors Fights Release of Police Documents | The Walrus

''The Laan family, at brother Paul Laan’s wedding. Kathrine Laan, Walter Laan, David Laan, Paul Laan, and Ron Allen are highlighted here.The Fifth Estate/Lann family blog.''

This was the only one I could find, and it's not so hot.... lol.
Might be time to re-watch some of videos though.

 

[dotr]

This was the only one I could find, and it's not so hot.... lol.
Might be time to re-watch some of videos though.

Can understand your interest in the L's..
Cottage Country Murder | The Walrus
''In 2005, Walter was convicted of several armed robberies: in one case, he groped a man’s genitals before trapping him in a cold cellar; in another, he confined an elderly woman to her bedroom, bound her wrists and ankles, and remarked, “You have nice breasts.” He received statutory release from the Keele Community Correctional Centre in 2013 and began work for a heating and air conditioning company in Toronto. He was arrested again in 2014 for entering a home where his visit was not planned or expected. At a later hearing, Walter said the incident was a misunderstanding: he had done service work on the home, and he entered to ensure a tap he had fixed “was still working.” The charge was withdrawn in 2015. I observed Walter driving back to what appears to be his residence: a Salvation Army complex in Scarborough. Walter and David also now operate Esto Gas Service, a multiservice company. A website notes they offer a “Senior’s Discount.”

 

[dotr]

DNA from murder scene used to create sketches of cold case suspect
2018

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