Canada: 36 years later, murderer of girl identified by DNA

Sylvie Claire, October 16, 2020

The murderer of a nine-year-old girl, whose kidnapping and death in 1984 shocked Canada and led to the conviction of an innocent person, was identified 36 years later using her DNA, police said Thursday. Toronto.

Investigators said they discovered her identity by sending a DNA sample of sperm taken from the girl's underwear to an American laboratory specializing in "genetic genealogy", which was able to finally bring out the name of Calvin Hoover, died in 2015.

The man, 28 years old at the time of the incident, committed suicide according to several media. He was close to the family of the young victim, kidnapped, raped and then stabbed to death near Toronto.

"If he were alive today, Toronto police would arrest Calvin Hoover for the murder of Christine Jessop," Acting Toronto Police Chief James Ramer told a press conference.

The girl was abducted after leaving her home in Queensville (north of Toronto) on October 3, 1984. Her body was found nearly three months later in a field about fifty kilometers away.

A neighbor of the Jessops, Guy Paul Morin, was arrested in 1985 and sentenced to life in prison for the murder. He had always claimed his innocence, before being finally exonerated by DNA analysis and then released in 2015.

After this miscarriage of justice, the Ontario government paid him $ 1.25 million (800,000 euros) in damages.

The discovery of the identity of the girl's murderer has raised new questions about the last days of little Christine's life, the police spokesman said, calling for witnesses.

Mr. Morin, personally notified of the discovery by the Toronto police, said he was happy to have his honor washed away for good.