Niagara police have named a suspect in a 25-year-old cold case.
In May of 1999, a partially clothed woman’s body was found in a roadside ditch near Seventh Avenue and Eight Avenue in the Town of Lincoln.
Her name was Nadine Gurczenski, and she was just 26-years-old.
An investigation into her death ruled that Gurczenski had been murdered, but no suspects were ever made known — until now.
Niagara police say genetic genealogy and advancements in DNA technology have allowed them to identify Gurczenski’s killer.
On Thursday, they named Joseph Archie “Raymond” Brousseau as a murderer. He passed away in 2017.
Brousseau was employed as a truck driver, who police say travelled “extensively” throughout Canada and the United States.
“Based on the investigation and evidence collected, if alive today, Raymond Brousseau would have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder,” their report, released Thursday, said.
Due to his death, formal charges cannot be laid, nor can the matter be brought before the courts.
“We want to recognize that Nadine was an incredibly important part of our family. She meant more than a news headline,” reads a statement from Gurczenski’s family. “She was a beautiful young woman inside and out, mother, wife, and now grandmother who had her whole life ripped away from her and everyone who loved her.”
“She is very loved and missed every day by her whole family and we will always make sure her memory lives on forever.”
While Thursday’s news marks a significant development in the case, police say they’re continuing to field tips relating to her death and ask that anyone with further information contact investigators by phone at 905-688-4111.
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