Niagara police have identified a woman’s body that was discovered years ago in a house being torn down, and they now suspect her death was a homicide. They are seeking people who might have known her back in the 1990s.
The woman has been identified as Brenda Marie Leblanc, who was born in 1963 in New Brunswick. During the 1990s, she lived in both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines while she was in her thirties. Her remains were uncovered at 7081 Stanley Ave. in Niagara Falls during the demolition of the vacant property in November 2023.
“Her connection to the residence remains unknown,” police said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Although decades have passed, investigators believe that there are individuals who may have known Brenda or have information that could assist in determining the circumstances surrounding her death.”
The site where her body was found had been used as a multi-unit rental home from the late 1970s until around 2018, after which it stood empty for several years and often faced “unlawful entry and use by unhoused individuals,” according to police.
The discovery of Leblanc’s remains led to an “extensive investigation” involving both homicide detectives and forensic experts, police stated.
Brenda Marie Leblanc’s remains were found at 7081 Stanley Ave. in Niagara Falls when the house was being demolished in 2023. (Submitted by Niagara Regional Police Service)
“A forensic and anthropological examination determined the remains belonged to an adult female and indicated that they had likely been at the property for many years, potentially dating back to the mid-1990s,” stated the release.
At first, police couldn’t identify the body, but last year they utilized investigative genetic genealogy-“an advanced forensic technique that combines DNA analysis with genealogical research”-to establish Leblanc’s identity. The Toronto Police Service, Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, and Othram Laboratories from Texas contributed to this effort, according to authorities.
“Investigators have not established how Brenda came to be at the Stanley Avenue property,” police said, adding that property owners have cooperated with their investigation.
“Detectives are asking anyone who knew Brenda Le Blanc during the 1990s or anyone with information about her associates, whereabouts, or activities during that time to contact the NRPS Homicide Unit Hotline at (289) 248-1058,” police said.
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