Human remains found in Saskatchewan in 1997 identified through DNA

Human remains discovered in Saskatchewan more than 27 years ago have been conclusively identified.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, the remains – which were found near the North Saskatchewan River outside of Lloydminster in November, 1997 – were recently identified through DNA testing. The police service said the remains were those of Jose Valdez, an Edmonton man who was 36 years old when he went missing in 1990.

Read More:

• Mackenzie Trottier’s remains found at Saskatoon landfill after 93-day search
• Premier hopes identification of remains found at landfill helps family move forward
• Trudeau pushes for RCMP reform during final days in office

His disappearance was not considered criminal in nature, the police service said, and according to the Saskatchewan coroner who examined the remains, Valdez’ death was not considered suspicious.

The file on the remains, which was in the hands of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Historical Case Unit, was revisited with the help of new technologies in 2005, and again last year, ultimately leading to the break in the case.

“Our team worked with the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the National Missing Persons DNA Program, and the file was ultimately linked to a missing person investigation out of Edmonton,” Cst. Brendan Sanford, the Saskatchewan RCMP’s missing person co-ordinator, said in a statement.

Last year, Edmonton detectives reviewing unsolved missing person files obtained DNA samples from Valdez’ family members, and were able to conclusively identify the remains.

“We sympathize with Jose’s family for the decades of ambiguous loss they have suffered, and while this is difficult news, we hope it also brings some measure of resolution,” says detective Glen Haneman, with the Edmonton Police Service’s historical crimes section, said in a statement.

“This is why we never stop investigating unsolved missing persons and unidentified human remains cases.”

Sanford added that technology is changing the way that police investigate cases like this one.

“It helps to uncover leads in ways that were not possible when the case first opened,” he said.

“Being able to bring closure to Jose’s loved ones is extremely rewarding and gives us hope that we can provide answers to other waiting families.”