CANADA Canada - Margaret McDonald, 80, Toronto, 24 June 1994

[dotr]

http://www.citynews.ca/2016/04/04/police-offer-50000-reward-in-21-year-old-cold-case/

Toronto Police are looking for a name to match DNA in a cold case murder.

Margaret McDonald was found dead in her 36 Lascelles Boulevard home, in the Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue area, on June 24, 1994. She’d been sexually assaulted, bludgeoned, and her throat was slashed.

Although police gathered fingerprints and DNA, the case went cold. Now they’re turning to social media in hopes of identifying McDonald’s killer.

 

[dotr]

http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/34400

Police continue to investigate the murder and have fingerprints and DNA evidence from the crime scene.

A recent DNA phenotyping test has narrowed the suspect to primarily European ancestry, white, likely to have blue or intermediate colour eyes and dark hair, approximately 5'10" and 20 - 30 at the time of the offence.

The offender likely lived in the area or knew the midtown area well and likely had trouble maintaining relationships with women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8_2hR_ZeFA&feature=youtu.be

 

[dotr]

http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/34400

Published on Apr 4, 2016

A violent and sadistic crime from 21 years ago that left a community shocked remains unsolved.

Margaret McDonald, 80, was found in her house by her granddaughter on June 24, 1994. She had been bludgeoned, her throat was slashed and she had been sexually assaulted.

She was discovered when a friend, who had dinner plans with McDonald for the evening, became worried when she didn’t answer her door.

The attacker left behind DNA. Forensic phenotyping has identified the murderer as a man of European ancestry, with blue or intermediate coloured eyes and dark hair. He is believed to have been 20 - 30 when the crime was committed, putting him at 40 - 50 now.

“This man likely had trouble maintaining intimate relationships with women during that time of his life,” said Detective Sergeant Stacy Gallant.
Police believe that, at the time of the murder, the man lived in or around the area where McDonald resided on Lascelles Blvd., in the Midtown area.

The suspect gained access into her home in the middle of the afternoon by breaking in, said Gallant. Several valuables were also stolen from her home and the house was ransacked.

“He knew the area enough to break in with confidence. It wasn’t his first break-and-enter and wasn’t his last. He surely committed other crimes before and after,” said Gallant. “There is no doubt people close to him, at the time, and people close to him now know he committed this crime.”

There could be others still, who have suspicions as to who might have committed the murder.

“Perhaps the description of this man triggers you to call us and say ‘you know what, I was thinking about it and someone I know does fit that description,’” said Gallant.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at 222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World

 

[dotr]

Rbbm.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/margaret-mcdonald-cold-case-1.3519629

Investigators believe the suspect lived near McDonald at the time of the murder and continues to reside in the area.

"He likely had trouble maintaining intimate relationships with women during that time of his life," said Det.-Sgt. Stacy Gallant said in a video posted by Toronto Police on YouTube.

Police are appealing to anyone who knows the suspect — and knows he committed the murder — to do the right thing and come forward.

"We have his DNA. All we need from you is his name," Gallant said

Police believe the suspect broke into McDonald's home in the middle of the afternoon. It was ransacked and several valuables were stolen.

"He knew the area enough to break in with confidence. It wasn't his first break-and-enter and wasn't his last," Gallant said in a media release also sent out by police today.

 

[dotr]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=36+l...&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=tfICV-bGIsOHjgTU5r74Ag


rbbm.

“There’s no doubt that there are people close with the offender, or were close to him at the time of the event,” Detective Sergeant Stacy Gallant explained. “You know that he did this, I am confident of that. If you want to remain anonymous, that’s perfectly fine. We have his DNA, so all we need from you is his name, nothing more.”

A $50,000 reward has been authorized for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder.

 

[dotr]

https://www.torontopolice.on.ca/homicide/coldcases.php

 

[dotr]

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July 4 2022

Toronto Police Service Releases Cold Case Appeals on Podcast Series with Obie & Ax Inc., 24 Shades of Blue - Cold Case Edition - Season Two, Episode Six, Margaret McDonald

www.tps.ca

''The sixth episode of 24 Shades of Blue - Cold Case Edition, Season Two, features the case of Margaret McDonald, 80, hosted by Andy O'Brien.

On June 24, 1994, at approximately 5:45 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call on Lascelles Boulevard near Chaplin Crescent. Inside the residence, they located 80-year-old Margaret McDonald deceased in her bed. She was the victim of a homicide.''

 

[dotr]

Mystery of the Margaret McDonald murder: Toronto Police - Blue Line

“It was awful. It was one of the worst attacks I’ve seen. Just a horrific crime scene,” said acting Det. Sgt. Steve Smith, who manages the Toronto Police

www.blueline.ca

June 12, 2023 By Stephen Metelsky rbbm

“I believe he broke in not knowing she was in there, and the rest of what transpired was a result of him being inside her home and finding her in bed,” said Smith. Once the victim was discovered asleep in her home, the believed initial criminal intentions of property crime escalated into a vicious sexual assault and “ended up as a brutal murder.” Evidence of this is supported by the weapon of opportunity the offender used to attack her; it was a weapon the suspect did not bring to the crime scene.

“The suspect beat McDonald with a giant pepper mill. It was a weapon of opportunity,” said Smith. “Just a brutal scene.”

McDonald’s granddaughter was the person who discovered the body shortly after the homicide.

Earlier that day, neighbours had reported observing two strangers knocking on other doors in the area. It’s not known if these individuals are linked to McDonald’s murder. However, homicide investigators do have one crucial piece of evidence that links the unknown killer to the crime – his DNA.

“This is one of the cases all of our investigators want nothing more than to solve.” – Det. Sgt. Steve Smith

In 2016, Toronto police were able to establish the suspect’s description and ancestry given the advancements in forensic phenotyping. He is described as being of possible European descent with “blue to intermediate-coloured eyes and dark hair.” Police believe the killer was between 20 and 30 years of age at the time of the homicide and would now be somewhere between the age of 50 and 60.

A police sketch was previously released of the suspect based on his DNA profile and 1994 witness information that described him having long dark hair, olive skin and dressed in leather tassels.

There was no match of the offenders DNA when it was submitted to the national DNA database, a setback that has not hindered the investigation moving forward. The Toronto police cold case unit are now focusing on the latest science that has seen some success with the identification of cold case homicide suspects in the last few years. “We are presently following up with our investigative genetic genealogy to see where it leads us,” confirmed Smith.''

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[dotr]

Rosemary Counter June 20, 2024 rbbm

https://macleans.ca/society/using-dna-to-solve-murders/

''Leading the exciting new field is Toronto Police Service Detective Sergeant Steve Smith, who’s spent the last five years becoming a genetic genealogy expert, thanks to a $1.5-million grant from the provincial government in 2022. ''

''Is there any case in particular that you want to see solved?
All of them, really, but one that sticks out right now is the Margaret McDonald case. It happened in the Leaside area of Toronto in 1994. She was a lady in her 80s, living alone, who was taking a nap when somebody broke into her house. They found her upstairs, savagely assaulted her and then beat her to death in her own bed. It was a brutal attack, and the suspect left DNA all over the place. We figure the offender was pretty young at the time, late teens or early 20s, so he could still be walking around. I really hope we get him. ''

 

[BlueJayBirdie]

Rosemary Counter June 20, 2024 rbbm

https://macleans.ca/society/using-dna-to-solve-murders/

''Leading the exciting new field is Toronto Police Service Detective Sergeant Steve Smith, who’s spent the last five years becoming a genetic genealogy expert, thanks to a $1.5-million grant from the provincial government in 2022. ''

''Is there any case in particular that you want to see solved?
All of them, really, but one that sticks out right now is the Margaret McDonald case. It happened in the Leaside area of Toronto in 1994. She was a lady in her 80s, living alone, who was taking a nap when somebody broke into her house. They found her upstairs, savagely assaulted her and then beat her to death in her own bed. It was a brutal attack, and the suspect left DNA all over the place. We figure the offender was pretty young at the time, late teens or early 20s, so he could still be walking around. I really hope we get him. ''

I read this article in Maclean's and came back to Websleuths to read more on the case. Thanks @dotr for all the info you posted!

This was especially informative :

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July 4 2022

Toronto Police Service Releases Cold Case Appeals on Podcast Series with Obie & Ax Inc., 24 Shades of Blue - Cold Case Edition - Season Two, Episode Six, Margaret McDonald

www.tps.ca

''The sixth episode of 24 Shades of Blue - Cold Case Edition, Season Two, features the case of Margaret McDonald, 80, hosted by Andy O'Brien.

On June 24, 1994, at approximately 5:45 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call on Lascelles Boulevard near Chaplin Crescent. Inside the residence, they located 80-year-old Margaret McDonald deceased in her bed. She was the victim of a homicide.''

Surprised the perpetrator's DNA isn't in the system, given the brutality of the crime and also that it was a breaking & entering that according to articles showed experience:

http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/34400

Maybe this perp was picked up but for lesser offenses & not ordered to give DNA to database. Definitely seems like the type of offender (or offenders if there was an accomplice) to have had criminal records if they were burglarizing & moving stolen property.

 

[dotr]

​

Toronto police appealing for information about 1994 cold case

Toronto police say it's been 21 years since the brutal murder of 80-year-old Margaret McDonald and they're still trying to solve the cold case. They've released

www.durhamradionews.com

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April 4, 2016 rbbm.

June 24th of 1994
'' Police say McDonald was sexually assaulted, bludgeoned and had her throat slashed before she was found by her granddaughter. Items from the home were also taken. Police do have fingerprints and DNA evidence from the crime scene. A recent DNA phenotyping test has narrowed the suspect to someone primarily of European ancestry, white, likely to have blue to intermediate coloured eye and dark hair, around 5’10” tall and was likely 20-30 years old at the time of the offence. Officers believe the suspect probably lived in the area or knew it well and probably had trouble maintaining relationships with women.''