CANADA Canada- Woman, sexually assaulted, changing room of hotel swimming pool, Belleville, Ont., July,'00, DNA- William James Dale, 53, 2025,*arrested*

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After 25 Years, an Ontario Sexual Assault Suspect is Identified

Belleville Police Service Teams with Othram to the Identify Suspect in a 2000 Sexual Assault

dnasolves.com

''In July 2000, a woman was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in the changing room of a hotel swimming pool in Belleville, a city located in Ontario, Canada. The Belleville Police Department responded and began investigating, including collecting forensic evidence. Despite an extensive investigation at the time, the suspect could not be identified and the case went cold.

In 2021, the Belleville Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the suspect. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to investigators with the Belleville Police Department.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified suspect. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be William James Dale. Dale, 53, was arrested by authorities in April 2025. On September 19, 2025, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced by a judge to 13 years in prison.

“This case demonstrates how important it is to combine new investigative methods with teamwork and dedication,” said Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd. “We remain deeply grateful to our partners and proud of the ongoing commitment of our members, who have consistently kept the victim and the community at the forefront of their work."

Funding for Othram's casework was provided by a grant from Season of Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding DNA testing on unsolved cold case homicides. This case was the first international case funded by Season of Justice.

This case is a reminder that every piece of preserved evidence has the potential to unlock long-awaited answers. If you would like to support efforts to solve more cases like this, consider contributing your DNA profile to the DNASolves database which aids law enforcement in identifying suspects and giving families the answers they deserve.

The identification of William Dale represents the 19th case in the Canadian Province of Ontario where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Ontrario cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.

Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools''

 

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Dan Taekema · CBC News · Posted: Nov 05, 2025 lengthy, rbbm

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/belleville-cold-case-solved-genealogy-dna-decades-later-9.6967492

''It was a vicious attack that has haunted Belleville, Ont., for more than two decades: a woman sexually assaulted and beaten inside a hotel change room during a festival weekend in the summer of 2000.

Nearly 25 years later, DNA evidence found on a cigarette butt helped police identify the man responsible.''

''William Dale, 54, was arrested in Kewsick, Ont., in April. On Sept. 18 he pleaded guilty to assault and sexual assault, receiving a sentence of more than 12 years in prison.''

''Insp. Jeremy Ashley said the Belleville Police Service never gave up on the case, praising the tenacity of investigators while acknowledging the shadow it cast over the city for years.

"It was so such an incredibly violent attack on a stranger and in ... what you would think would be a safe place," he said in an interview with CBC.''

''Then there's Grant Boulay, the forensics officer who collected DNA evidence at the crime scene in 2000.
Twenty-five years later, Boulay's daughter, Det.-Const. Andrea Boulay, led the team that arrested Dale, according to Ashley.''

''Ashley, a forensic officer at the time, wondered whether the same technology could help solve the cold case in Belleville.
He got in touch with a lab called Othram Inc. and a not-for-profit called Seasons of Justice, which funds investigations after all other options have been exhausted.
According to a news release from Belleville police, it was the first time the organization had ever bankrolled an investigation outside the continental U.S.''