Full Breakdown
Toronto Police Close Two Decades-Old Homicide Mysteries Using Genetic Genealogy
7/28/2026, 9:25:27 PM
Investigative Genetic Genealogy Solves Two Cold Cases
Toronto Police announced that the victims of two long-standing homicide investigations have been identified through DNA-based investigative genetic genealogy. The first case involved a woman murdered around April 1936 whose remains were uncovered beneath a demolished garage on May 18 1995. The second case concerned a woman who died in a deliberately crashed vehicle on April 22 2004. Both identifications were achieved after the police submitted the skeletal evidence to the forensic laboratory Othram, which generated SNP profiles that enabled genealogical matches.
Background & Context
In 1995 demolition workers at 1515 Danforth Avenue uncovered a skeleton beneath an automotive garage. Forensic analysis determined the woman, aged roughly 20-30, had been intentionally buried after sustaining at least six blunt-force head injuries. A separate investigation stemmed from a 2004 Highway 401 crash in which a vehicle was deliberately driven into a tractor-trailer, igniting a fire that destroyed the passenger’s body. Both cases remained unsolved for decades.
In 2022 the Toronto Police Service selected the two cold cases for review using investigative genetic genealogy. Samples were sent to Othram in Texas. After multiple extraction attempts, the lab produced forensic-grade SNP profiles despite severely degraded DNA. Genealogists built family trees, located living relatives, and confirmed the identities of the victims.
Timeline
- 1913 – Mary Davidson immigrates from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
- April 1936 – Mary McLeod Moffat (née Davidson) is believed to have been murdered.
- May 18 1995 – Skeletal remains discovered beneath the Danforth Avenue garage.
- 2004 – Patsy Flora Lagarde dies in a vehicle fire on April 22 after an intentional crash.
- 2022 – DNA evidence from both cases submitted to Othram.
- 2024 – Police publicly identify Mary McLeod Moffat and Patsy Flora Lagarde, naming Andrew Lloyd Moffat (alias Drake Lloyd Cummings) as the primary suspect in the 1936 homicide.
Data & Statistics
- The Danforth victim was between 20 and 30 years old and suffered six blunt-force head injuries.
- DNA extraction yielded only small amounts of severely degraded DNA, requiring multiple laboratory attempts before a usable SNP profile was generated.
- Othram’s KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing matched the forensic profile to living relatives, confirming Mary McLeod Moffat’s identity.
- Patsy Flora Lagarde, born in 1962, had Indigenous Cree ancestry, and was identified through the same process.
Official Statements & Responses
Detective Michael Kelly emphasized that the resolution would not have been possible without investigative genetic genealogy, noting that the technique allowed investigators to construct a family tree from limited DNA. Homicide detective Stephen Smith highlighted that the work restored the victims’ identities and provided closure to families. Police also indicated that Andrew Lloyd Moffat, who later used the alias Drake Lloyd Cummings and died in 1985, is the primary suspect in Mary’s murder, though he cannot be prosecuted.
Why It Matters
The application of investigative genetic genealogy in these cases demonstrates the technique’s capacity to resolve decades-old homicides when only minute, degraded DNA samples are available. The outcomes provide long-awaited answers for the victims’ descendants and illustrate a model for other cold-case investigations.
