CANADA Canada- Livingston Channel, Detroit River, Amherstburg, Ont., John Doe, 29 May 2003, Dna - James Raymond Stewart, 48, of Michigan, 2024.

[dotr]

Jan. 6, 2025

'He won't be a John Doe anymore': OPP use new DNA testing to solve 21-year-old cold case

OPP have used new DNA technology to solve a 21-year-old cold case near Amherstburg, Ont. The new testing has led to the identification of the remains of a man found in 2003.

windsor.ctvnews.ca

''OPP have used new DNA technology to solve a 21-year-old cold case near Amherstburg, Ont. The new testing has led to the identification of the remains of a man found in 2003.

Authorities now say it was James Raymond Stewart, 48, of Michigan, who was discovered on May 29 in the Livingston Channel of the Detroit River.
''In September 2024, a member of the Stewart family submitted their DNA for comparison, which matched James’.
“We're grateful to all of you, Ontario police in this program, because without this we still wouldn't have, even with Jan’s DNA, we wouldn't have come up with this,” Stewart’s sister said in an OPP video news release.

''In the video, Stewart is described as a sensitive and quiet man who loved jazz music and served in the United States Navy in the 1970s.''

 

[dotr]

Jan 6, 2025
'A 21-year-old case has been solved and a family finally knows what happened to their loved one following the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. In 2003, a deceased male was found on the Livingston Channel shoreline. Despite numerous attempts, his identity remained unknown until 2024, when IGG identified him as a Detroit resident. Last year, his family visited his grave and shared memories of James and his life.'

 

[Melt71]

What a lovely video tribute from the family.

 

[dotr]

After 21 years, Livingstone Channel John Doe is Identified

Ontario Police Service and Toronto Police Service Leverage Othram's Genetic Testing Platform to Identify a 2003 John Doe

dnasolves.com

"In May 2003, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in the Livingstone Channel of the Detroit River in Amherstburg, Ontario. The Detroit River forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario. It was determined that the remains were that of an adult male, who could not be identified. The man became known as Livingstone Channel John Doe.

Details of the case were entered into Canada's National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) as case 2016061103. Despite investigators’ efforts, the case was cold for more than two decades. In 2023, the Ontario Provincial Police, in collaboration with Toronto Police Service, teamed with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man''.

''The identification of James Raymond Stewart represents the 14th case in the Province of Ontario where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To learn more about other Ontario cases, visit DNASolves''

 

[Blurgle]

I'm glad his siblings are still with us to know. What a burden.