Police ID suspect in 1999 assaults

It’s been over 20 years, but Guelph police say two victims now have some closure thanks to advances in DNA science. The first case dates back to July 24, 1999, when a 74-year-old was sexually assaulted in her Guelph home. “Less than four months later, on November 14, 1999, the same offender entered another Guelph residence and confronted a 45-year-old female in her bedroom,” say police. “The female was able to fight off the offender who was brandishing a knife and fled the scene. The two cases were linked by DNA that had been collected by the Guelph Police at the crime scenes and subsequently analyzed by the Centre of Forensic Sciences.” Police say a task force consisting of 11 officers was formed for the investigation, but a suspect was never identified and it became a cold case, although never closed. Police say they tried to crack the case again in 2010, but couldn’t identify anyone. “The case has always remained open and in 2020 Guelph Police once again revisited the investigation. It was through the advancement of DNA that has occurred between 2010 and the present that police were able to identify the male responsible for these sexual assaults,” say police. “The offender was a Guelph male that was in his 20s at the time of the sexual assaults. The male is now deceased. Police will not be releasing the name of the offender.” The release does not specify what DNA advancements were made, or how they had the suspect’s DNA.