By Canadian Press

DNA DATABANK

DNA helps Calgary police identify body of homeless man

Nov 27, 2019 | 7:03 AM

CALGARY- The manager of the National DNA Data Bank Missing Persons Unit says the identification of a homeless man whose body was found in a Calgary tent two years ago is likely the first of many resolved cases.

The database is operated by the RCMP and was established last year to help investigations into missing persons and unidentified remains.

After comparing a DNA sample with 500,000 profiles, police have been able to match the man to a missing person from Quebec.

Authorities say the man, who has not been publicly identified, had been estranged from his family since 2016.

Normally, police would have needed a familial sample for comparison, but in this case a positive match was made because the individual was already on file in the RCMP’s known-offender DNA databank.

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Database manager Kathy Murphy says the more profiles they get, the greater the chances of making an identification and bringing more people home.

(The Canadian Press)