Toronto police recently contacted Michele Dent regarding a case from 2021, initially leading her to believe it was a scam. The case involved the discovery of unidentified human remains near Downsview Park, which were later identified as belonging to Willard Duval, an Indigenous man in his 70s reported missing in 2018. Through genetic genealogy investigations, police linked Duval to Dent, confirming he was her uncle.
This identification was part of Project 31, a Toronto police initiative focused on resolving long-term cases involving unidentified individuals with available DNA material. By utilizing investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) technology, police aim to provide closure to families seeking answers about missing loved ones and honor the deceased.
Det. Const. Mike Kelly explained that IGG functions by identifying specific genetic markers unique to an individual’s ancestry, enabling the construction of family trees to establish relationships. This approach has successfully led to the identification of 11 unidentified persons within Project 31, offering crucial leads for further investigations.
Willard Duval’s remains were discovered in September 2021 near a construction site at 30 Carl Hall Rd., with findings indicating no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. Despite conventional methods failing to identify him, IGG technology eventually connected Duval to Dent, shedding light on their family history disrupted by past traumas, including residential school separations.
Dent’s emotional journey to uncover her family’s past culminated in a heartfelt burial ceremony for Duval, where he was laid to rest beside his brother. The event marked a bittersweet reunion facilitated by genealogists and investigators involved in the case.
Looking ahead, Toronto police anticipate further developments in Project 31, with ongoing efforts to identify more remains and reunite individuals with their families, emphasizing the significance of bringing closure to those who have been alone in life and death.